


Relinquish Your Justice

by Jempsters, Ommith



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Angst, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gay Panic, Heavy Angst, If angst was an item I bought it all out of stock, M/M, Magical Boys, Magical Girls, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivals to Lovers, Sapnap is the true wingman, Slow Burn, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, dream falls fast and hard for gogy, george is dense asf, sensitive topics, somewhat action, there might be spice scenes, we all love it when magical girl shows get dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 34,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29447973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jempsters/pseuds/Jempsters, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ommith/pseuds/Ommith
Summary: "George!"The brunet inhaled sharply as he spun around to face the blond. The rain pounded down on the duo, drenching them, the street lights doing their best to light up the streets in the night.George's wet clothes clung to his skin uncomfortably as he stared at Clay, waiting for the taller male to say anything."Why? Why are you leaving?" His voice was desperate, searching George's gaze for any truth or emotion."I...I was never fit for the spotlight, Clay"≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃George Davidson had never liked the attention.He hated their pitying gazes, their words that carried no value. They didn't mean it when they said they were saddened by his brother's disappearence.After being labeled as the troublesome kid after he beat up a kid with a dictionary, a bi-pedal anthropomorphic fox ropes him into becoming a Magical Boy.Now tasked with the mission of battling 'Terrors', the personification of people's fears, George goes on his own journey of self-discovery as he helps others. Begrudgingly.orGeorge becomes a magical boy and proceeds to go on an adventure of angst and friendship.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 76
Kudos: 113





	1. Try Me

**Author's Note:**

> So now I guess I exist on Ao3...pog.
> 
> But anyway, hope you enjoy the story, cause this is gonna be a roller coaster.
> 
> Don't be afraid, leave a kudos and comment if you enjoy :D

**December 6th, Tuesday, 10:19 AM**

Wiping the blood from his nose, George Davidson stares at the crimson red spreading slowly on his white sleeve.

Wearing an expression of complete indifference, he looked down at the fainted boy on the cement. As his eyes strayed to the bloodied dictionary in his own hands, George sighed before lifting it and dropping it squarely on the head of the already concussed boy.

As he started to walk away, he could hear the cries of protest of a nearby librarian who witnessed the one-sided fight. "Mr. Davidsons! Don't you dare walk away!"

Looking back at the frail old woman he blinked, almost like he was confused.

"You're coming with me, young man! Just wait until your parents find out about this" She growled as she clamped her hand on George's shoulder firmly.

The brunet stood there dumbfounded as he scrunched his nose up.

"What did I do?"

"Don't try acting innocent on me, I watched you beat up Mr. Redwood for absolutely no reason" The old woman hissed as she jabbed a wrinkly finger at the boy. George narrowed his eyes.

"To be completely transparent with you Miss, Daniel approached me first and his words angered me. So I lashed out"

"That still doesn't give you the right to beat him up! And he was only offering his condolences for the death of your brother!" The woman fumed as George simply stared over her shoulder, watching one of Daniel's friends drag him away. Probably to the nurse.

As she continued to scold the brunet, the Librarian grabbed the boy's wrist roughly before leading him away to the principal's office.

George stumbled over his feet as he silently smiled to himself.

_Worth it._

**December 6th, Tuesday, 3:41 PM**

Fidgeting with a tennis ball that he had found in a bush, George silently praised himself for getting suspended. Sure it sounded idiotic, but anything to get away from those...pitying stares. The boy's skin crawled a bit as he remembered how everyone stared at him, he hated that feeling.

George slipped the tennis ball into his backpack before slinging the bag over his shoulder again, texting his parents a simple and brief message before walking away. He probably wouldn't go home this night. 

Or the next really.

The brunet was gonna wait out the storm, so for now, he would crash at his friend's place.

George paused in his tracks, watching a nearby flickering street light. He shivered, damn did it get cold around here.

_Would Nick accept Panda Express as a good enough payment?_

The boy's musings stopped though as he felt something tug at his pant leg. Looking down, he spotted a small fox who seemed to have a part of his pant legs clamped in its jaws as it continued to pull feebly.

"Hm? What's a fox doing here?" George murmured to no one in particular as he crouched down, reaching out to pet the animal.

The vibrant orange fox flinched away when the boy's fingers grazed its fur. The animal hissed before looking around desperately, its gaze landing on George again as it yipped profusely at the boy.

"What?"

George gave the small creature a puzzled expression. It wasn't like he could understand fox.

The fox started to whine as it walked closer to George, having to stand on its back legs as it pulled on the brunet's sleeve. It was like the fox wanted something, or wanted to lead the boy somewhere.

Watching the fox in an amused manner, he huffed before looking around at the empty street. More specifically, a nearby alleyway which he could hear strange noises from. His logical side screamed at him to start running, but curiosity took the wheel as George stood up, scooping the fox into his arms as he went to investigate.

The small creature looked like it wanted to facepalm.

As the boy grew closer to the alleyway, a high pitched noise similar to a scream rang out, the sound of shattering glass following.

George flinched as he took a step back.

_Maybe I shouldn't be-_

He didn't get to finish that thought as an explosion followed, the boy's ears ringing from the noise. As he looked up, he watched as debris flew out from the alleyway, a plume of smoke following as George's eyes widened.

What followed after that was when it got weird though.

A person was suddenly flung out like a ragdoll before they landed perfectly on their feet a few meters away from George. The male was a head taller than him and sported messy blond hair. A porcelain circular mask hid their face, a smiley face painted on.

Their clothes were strange as well, something you think you would see in a cosplay event. They wore a black turtle neck under a large, supposedly green, coat. He also had on long fingerless gloves that ended at his elbows and black pants. What George couldn't process though was the giant bat-like wings that sprouted from the stranger's back.

Before the brunet could stare for too long, another crash followed as a pitch back wolf with eyes everywhere on its pelt sprang out from the alleyway. 

"Fundy! Now!" The male yelled. The fox jumped out of George's arms, pushing off the side of a nearby building before neatly landing on the stranger's shoulder.

"Scan is complete, careful Dream!" The fox yipped as it let out a triumphant cry, jumping off the male's shoulder as it transformed into a...bow??

Catching the bow in the air, the stranger materialized an arrow before drawing it back quickly, aiming at the wolf that had lunged at him. The arrow seemed to glow vividly before soaring through the air and piercing the black wolf.

The creature let out a whimper before bursting into a cloud of blue butterflies that flew away.

George watched the scene unfold, confused to his core as the stranger turned to him. They froze before diving towards the brunet suddenly, George letting out a scream as the other male scooped him up in a bridal carry, flying into the air in one swift motion.

As the bow fell from their hands, it shrunk and transformed back into the small fox. The creature let out a scared scream before catching the stranger's pant leg, clutching on for dear life.

The brunet stopped screaming as he peered down to see a pack of the same type of wolves gathering in the spot where he just was. Shuddering, the boy reluctantly held on tighter to the stranger.

_What the fuck was happening???_


	2. Terrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reeEEEEeee, tHiS iS pAinnNN
> 
> I promise the plot will progress, I just need to get in Dream's pov
> 
> but anyways, shameless plug, leave a kudos or comment if you like the story, it's completely free and helps a shit ton ;-;
> 
> (also, to hell with a good upload schedule-)

**December 6th, Tuesday, 3:11 PM**

Clay Anderson smirked underneath his mask, watching the cars below him as he let his feet dangle off the building's edge.

Floris was late, but it was fine with the tall male. There hadn't been any reports that seemed like real threats. Which was...okay, but indeed got boring quickly on days like these. 

The blond softly hummed to himself as he stretched out his large bat-like wings, sighing in contentedness as he soaked up sunlight similarly to a cat.

Clay perked up though as he heard the scratching of claws. Looking over his shoulder, he caught the sight of the bi-pedal fox, who looked like he had a rough time getting to the blond.

"Took you long enough," He said jokingly, the fox letting out a cry of frustration.

"Says the person who set the meeting place at the top of a 34-floor building! It's not fair, you can flipping fly!" The fox screamed at Clay, causing the boy to wheeze uncontrollably.

"Wow, jeez, sorry that you can't take the workout Floris" Clay giggled as the fox writhed with anger, the boy scooping up the fox who in return climbed up onto his shoulder.

The two fell into silence as the boy's eyes scanned the city before them.

"Found anything?" Floris grunted.

"Not yet, but the Terrors should be showing up by now. Exams are happening, that would probably cause a lot of well...fear. With that amount of bad emotions, Terrors should definitely materialize"

The fox sighed, rolling his eyes. "I seriously don't see why exams cause so much fear in students-"

"Shush Floris, you got no say in this. You're just a magical fox, you know nothing" Clay huffed, the fox scoffing as he settled back into silence.

The blond calmed himself, closing his eyes as he blocked out all the sound. Even though he was still pretty new to this whole superpower thing, the fox told him he was a natural. And that was a pretty big ego boost.

Breathing in deeply, he tried to pinpoint the traces of misery he felt all over the city.

_"I wish I was better at sports..."_

_"Why can't mother and father accept me as who I am?"_

_"Why is Jenga so hard..."_

Opening his eyes, Clay sighed. Just the usual it seemed. As the boy was about to stand up and leave though, a silent whisper suddenly spoke up.

_**"Why couldn't I have died instead of Kaleb? At least I would've finally be noticed about something that wasn't tied to him..."** _

The boy froze as he shook his head with a silent smile. "Looks like we have a contender, Floris." The fox perked up at Clay's words.

"Awesome, let's get going then" 

**December 6th, Tuesday, 3:32 PM**

Clay walked down the street casually. He didn't have to fear judgmental stares from people since, in this form, nobody could see him. It was a huge help considering his giant ass wings that stuck out like a sore thumb.

As the blond followed the thoughts they seemed to grow louder, causing Clay to frown. The more he listened to this stranger drone on and on about this dead person, the sadder Clay felt. It's akin to trying to support a depressed friend but the more you listen to their problems the more depressed you get.

The boy sighed again as he shook his head softly again.

"You okay Dream? You keep sighing." Floris spoke up, the blond simply shrugging.

"It's nothing"

The fox rolled his eyes into oblivion before settling into his silence again. 

Taking a sharp turn into an alleyway, he started to climb up the building with relative ease. After reaching the top, the blond quickly sat down on the edge of the building. He was waiting for the target to pass them.

Clay watched silently as a brunet started to walk past. They were cute, but that was off-topic. The blond silently narrowed his eyes, watching the pack of inky black wolves follow in the steps of the boy. Large eyes speckled their coats, large, and unblinking.

_Terrors._

Creatures who fed off of people's fears. Everyone has a Terror. But depending on the size of trauma or well, fear, of said person, the more dangerous a Terror could become. Nobody could truly see them, except for animals and children. Strange, but Clay had accepted the fact long ago.

The main reason that he was here right now was his ability to interact and see Terrors. Which well in turn...lead him to a very loud-mouthed fox.

Shaking off the thought, Clay peered down as he watched the Wolf Terror in the front tower over the brunet. The stranger seemed to have his head in the clouds, his eyes unfocused. The Terror leaned down, its jaw opening horizontally as it whispered silently.

_"Your nothing without your brother"_

The brunet gripped his bag strap a bit tighter as soon as the words left the Terror's mouth. Clay shook his head silently, pitying the boy somewhat.

"You know the drill Floris...distract the guy while I take care of the bitches" The fox scoffed before jumping off his shoulder, climbing down the building carefully before trotting after the boy as Floris glared at the Terrors. They paid the fox no heed though.

Clay silently chuckled before jumping down from the building as he silently followed the large group.

_Now how am I going to do this?_

The blond shrugged to himself as he watched Floris lightly tug on the brunet's pant leg. As soon as they were distracted, Clay smirked before taking out a glow stick from his pocket. As all the Wolf Terrors looked up, Clay slowly walked towards a nearby alleyway. 

Who knew that the living embodiments of fear acted like moths? But hey, he didn't mind. It was a huge help in leading the Terrors away from their beholder.

As soon as most of them had squished themselves into the alley, Clay unsheathed his rapier. When the boy pocketed the glow stick, the creatures seemed to come back to their senses.

But not fast enough.

Walking to the nearest one, he plunged his rapier through one of its eyes on its pelt. The creature let out a blood-curdling scream, alerting its brethren.

Clay quickly kicked the Terror he had stabbed away, using his rapier to parry one of the Terror's attacks. A smile escaped him as he took a formal and elegant stance, pointing the sword straight at one of the growling Terrors.

"En garde, bitch"

The Terror didn't take kindly to Clay's words, letting out an ear-piercing howl before charging at the boy. Side-stepping the attack gracefully, Clay stabbed his rapier through the large Terror. The creature let out a whimper of pain before its inky black pelt started to bubble weirdly.

_Ah shit._

Just as he was about to back away, the creature violently exploded, Clay getting flung back as he breathlessly seemed to fly through the air.

He forgot that they did that sometimes.

Before he could do anything stupid, his instincts took the wheel. The boy's feet miraculously finding solid ground once again.

Shaking his head of dizziness, he stood firm as he watched one of the Terrors start to creep towards him from the alleyway,

"Fundy! Now!"

The fox struggled for a moment before landing on his shoulder, Clay hiding a large smile behind his mask. "Scan is complete, careful Dream!"

Floris jumped off his shoulder, shapeshifting into a weapon. Catching the weapon the fox had transformed into, he hummed. Holding the longbow delicately, Clay nocked an arrow into it as he drew it back. As the Terror pounced forward, the boy let the arrow fly from his grasp, piercing the creature.

Watching the Terror dissolve into butterflies, Clay continued to smile to himself.

Just as he was about to celebrate, he paused, feeling someone's gaze boring into him. Turning around, he spotted the brunet who was staring at him in shock.

_Wait...he can see me._

Before he could understand what he himself was doing, the blond shot forward, scooping the brunet into his arms as he flew up. The brunet's screams rattled him a bit, but it helped distract him from whatever the fuck he was doing.

He inwardly chuckled as he heard Floris's screams as well.


	3. "Consensual" Kidnapping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the plot is finally moving again-
> 
> But anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. (if you can't tell I'm trying to get a chapter up every day, which is gonna be hell for me)
> 
> Please give kudos and feel free to comment, it's completely free and helps a shit ton-

**December 6th, Tuesday, 3:56 PM**

George's breathing continued to stumble as he tried not to stare at the ground below him. His fear of heights was not helping at all in this situation.

Sucking in another breath, he attempted to peek out of his confines before yelping and burying his head even deeper into the stranger's chest. As he felt the blond shake with laughter, the boy silently started cursing them out.

The boy was hyper-aware of his surroundings. How the other male's chest rose and fell, how weirdly warm the blond was...and especially...

_How he had basically gotten flipping kidnapped!_

George would try to struggle but he ratter not become a pancake on the ground from falling.

So for now, all he could do was wait and hope this was all a fever dream.

"Hey Dream...when are you gonna land? I think my paws are going to fall asleep" George carefully peered out to watch the tiny fox's tail flap through the wind as it held on carefully to the stranger's leg.

George stifled a chuckle as he got a glimpse of the fox's desperate expression.

_Wait...foxes don't talk._

Spiraling deeper into his confusion, he could feel the stranger's grip on him tighten for barely a moment.

"Have some patience furry. I'm trying to get a good spot away from the Terrors" The blond said with a rumbly laugh. The fox scoffed in response.

**December 6th, Tuesday, 4:09 PM**

Clay let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he finally landed on a building he thought suited.

Holding the boy gently in his arms, still in a bridal carry, he contemplated just dropping him on the roof right there and then if the brunet didn't realize they were on solid ground in the next seconds.

Fundy watched the two in an amused manner. Clay glared at the fox as he roughly dropped the boy onto the ground.

The brunet let out a surprised yelp before rubbing the back of his head somberly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The boy suddenly yelled. Clay shrugged.

"A lot of things actually"

The brunet scrunched his nose up in a delicate manner as he scoffed. Standing up, he crossed his arms as he glared at Clay.

"So? Can you please fucking tell me why I'm here...and also why that fox can talk" The boy jerked a finger at Fundy who innocently stared up at the boy.

"Meh, I think I rather let Fundy explain it" Clay smiled as he watched the brunet grow even more confused.

"It has a name?"

"I'm not a god damn 'it'!" The fox cried out, the boy flinching at the sudden outburst. Clay in turn started wheezing.

Floris glanced over at Clay in a piercing manner before taking a deep breath.

"How do I break this to you...well...those wolves you just saw were the personification of your fear" Fundy slowly started to say, the boy raising an eyebrow.

"And well...since you could see them, Dream decided to kidnap you"

Clay snorted at the fox's words as he tore his hand through his messy blond hair.

"Don't give me attitude bitch" Fundy said, whipping around to face the blond before looking back at the brunet. "The wolves are called 'Terrors'. Everybody has a Terror, just so happen that yours is a large pack of wolves.

"How exciting" the boy muttered as he rubbed his temples. "What the hell is the shit I'm on?"

Floris sighed as his tail thrashed around, annoyed. "I can assure you, that this isn't a drug trip" 

The boy frowned before taking a moment to think.

"Fine then, but why do you need me in the first place? I assume that you're the ones who are supposed to well...destroy the Terrors?"

"You see...we can indeed 'kill' Terrors. But unless the said person's fear is 'removed', they'll continue appearing. This dumbass over here" Fundy flicked his tail over to Clay, "Forgot that. And after killing one of them, freaked out and kidnapped you."

The brunet silently grumbled to himself as he glanced over to Clay. " _Thank_ you, idiot"

"Absolutely no _fucking_ problem" Clay growled back as he gave the boy a forced smile.

Fundy rolled his eyes. "Now then, this is probably not gonna work, but may you kindly face your fears, Mr. Stranger" 

"It's George. And I'm afraid that's not possible"

Fundy shrugged as he cast a look over to Clay. "Worth the try"

"Hey look, we're both new to this, so spread the blame evenly Fundy" Clay muttered. Fundy cursed silently before turning to 'George' again.

"Since you clearly won't be eliminating your fears at the moment, or in the near future, how about we make a deal kid. Until you feel confident facing your fears, I'll give you the powers to be able to fight off your own Terrors."

"What's the catch?" George muttered as he stared at the fox.

"You...help us in fighting other people's Terrors!" Fundy said quickly, almost like he was excited.

"And If I say no?"

"The Terror will disappear if the said person dies as well. So I could offer to push you off this building and framing it as a suicide" Clay said with a smirk, somewhat overjoyed of the other's clear annoyance.

"So I have no choice then..."Geroge grumbled before looking over to Fundy again sharply. "I'll help you with killing...Terrors. But, question, what use are you guys if you can't actually kill Terrors?"

Fundy sighed. "Well, when Terrors become strong enough, they'll start destroying their own beholder. What we do is fend them off so they can't become strong enough to do that. And in the process, hopefully, help the said person with their fears so the Terrors can disappear"

"I...suppose I could work with that. But why didn't you just keep me in the dark, like the rest?"

"Well, you can see Terrors, and who am I to pass up another opportunity for another person who can do free labor for me?" Fundy mused as Clay rolled his eyes.

George silently blinked as he sunk into thought for a moment, suddenly smiling as he looked over to Clay.

"Guess you're stuck with me then"

"Great...I'm _overjoyed_ "


	4. 404

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hee hoo, Gogy gets shown the ropes.
> 
> *insert shameless plug*
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter, its shorter than 1000 words this time around because I'm t i r e d. (and I still need to get my goal of 2 chapters a day)

**December 6th, Tuesday, 4:25 PM**

"What's with the names by the way?" George mused as he tilted his head.

"They're not our real names, we just use them for...safety? Privacy?" Fundy muttered to himself as he sunk into thought. "You can make up your own nickname if you want..."

The brunet huffed as hummed for a moment. "Just call me 404 then-"

"Great! Now that's settled, can you do the _fucking_ thing Fundy?" Dream said abruptly, cutting off George. The fox bolting upright as he cleared his throat.

The fox stood up on his hind legs as he twirled around suddenly, a large black Jojo cap appearing on his head. Fundy paused before grinning, jumping up as he bit at the air, a large emerald appearing in his jaws from nowhere.

Landing back on the ground, Fundy trotted over to George happily. "Lwick the crshtal"

The brunet took a moment to process the fox's request before reeling back.

"Why would I do that?! I don't know where the hell that thing has been-"

"Jhust lwick the fooking thwing-"

George scrunched up his nose in disgust. Dream sighed before walking over to the angered fox, plucking the emerald out of Fundy's mouth. 

"Hey 404, what's 4 times 9?" Dream muttered as George raised his eyebrow.

"Why do you need to know? Its-" George didn't get to finish as the blond suddenly shoved the emerald into his mouth. The brunet let out a muffled cry as he spat the gem out. Just as he was about to berate Dream, the male pointed to the gem on the ground.

George watched dumbfounded as the emerald started to grow a light tint of blue.

"What the..." The boy trailed off as he crouched down to the gem. As the emerald finished glowing, a pair of clout goggles stood in its place. 

Dream shrugged, stepping back. George looked up confused before silently sighing, picking up the glasses and putting them on.

"Finally! Now just transform!" Fundy said excitedly.

The brunet raised an eyebrow. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Just harness your inner 8th grader syndrome"

_I...I suppose that should work?_

George groaned before closing his eyes. As his mind started to wander, his thoughts seem to catch on watching Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew Mew with...Kaleb.

He inwardly sighed before avoiding the part with... _Kaleb_. Humming to himself silently, he felt a growing warmth spread through him.

The boy paused as he felt something pinch him. Slowly opening his eyes, he scrambled up as he realized the change in his attire. He choked on his words a bit as he twirled around, trying to understand what he was wearing now.

It was a great change from his regular school uniform. He wore a simple blue jacket over a white long sleeve shirt. The blue jacket had the large symbol of '404' in red text in a white box, outlined with red lines on the back. The blue jacket also had two tails at the edge of it, resembling that of a butler's outfit. He wore tight gray jeans, the white belt having an extra-long strap, making it seem like he had a cat tail.

He also had thin white gloves that went up to his elbows. On each fingertip, there was a blue circle, and in the palm of the white glove a large blue circle. They looked similar to cat paws. The clout goggles had transformed into blue-tinted safety glasses. George also seemed to be wearing large white headphones, two electronic cat ears with blue accents on them. On the inside of the cat ears seemed to be two speakers built-in to it.

The brunet silently admired his new appearance before turning back to the other two. George silently snickered to himself as he watched Dream look away quickly. 

The two felt mutual hate for each other...for absolutely no reason. They just seem to both gain a rivalry in the few moments they talked and were in the presence of each other. But George didn't mind. He needed something to release his pent up anger.

"So what now? Is this new outfit just for looks? I mean, I don't mind. I think I look pretty hot" George said jokingly, Dream snorting in response.

_Well, it wasn't a no._

"You now can interact with Terrors...and you also have some home-baked powers. You'll have to figure out what your powers are though" Fundy said with a simple dismissive wave of his paw.

"Now let's go show you to the world with your new pair of eyes!"

"My what-" George didn't get to finish as he felt a sudden shove. He let out a scream as he felt the feeling of free-falling for a second.

The brunet shuddered before creaking open his eyes, realizing his position, he started spluttering. He was currently standing on the side of the building, completely ignoring gravity. His white combat boots seemed to be glowing from the underside though...strangely.

George paused as he heard the flap of wings. Dream hovered in mid-air by his side as he carried Fundy in his arms.

"What a shame, I was hoping to hear the _sweet_ sound of your bones breaking from the fall" Dream mumbled, George flashing the other a grin as he slowly started walking down the side of the building.

"It's just as I said, you're stuck with me, _bastard_ " 

Dream rolled his eyes.


	5. Nick Armstrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you guys stay around because this fic is gonna start slow, you know, ease you guys into the universe. Hopefully, at chapter 6 we'll start getting to the good stuff. Just have to do intro and stuff, and then you'll start to see more characters and d r a m a :))
> 
> Leave a kudos, and a comment (if you're feeling extra), it helps a shit ton and is COMPLETELY free
> 
> (1/2 Chapters today)

**December 6th, Tuesday, 4:48 PM**

"So they can't see me?" 404 murmured as he waved his hand in front of a citizen.

Clay scoffed as rolled his eyes. "That's what we've been telling you, idiot".

404 shot a glare at Clay before continued to weave between citizens on the busy sidewalk. It was a bit amusing watching the brunet bumble around. But he made sure to keep his lips sealed about that.

"It's strange really...and a bit mind-boggling to think that I have a pack of wolves following me around" the brunet muttered, destroying the silence that was starting to build up in the trio.

Fundy shrugged, the fox still in Clay's arms. "Eh, you get used to it" 

"Ah...another question though...when do you guys start to try to help people? Like, when is a Terror decided that it's a threat? Since...everyone has Terrors" 404 gestures to a cat seemingly made of smoke that stood on the shoulders of a woman passing by. 

"Well, yes, everyone has their own fears." Fundy started to say, Clay, listening intently. "But the Terrors mostly stand as an instinct kinda. Things that warn you of danger. This is where it gets a bit complicated though, since some Terrors if the fear is strong enough, will take control of their beholder to 'protect' them. But they don't know that this is hurting their person more than helping. And it's our job to stop that from happening...since if the Terror stays in control for long enough..." the fox started to trail off again.

"But to answer your question, it's usually seemed fitted when a Terror shows signs of taking control of its person"

Clay noticed how Floris's mood seem to plummet instantly, black fog swirling around the fox for barely a moment. Clay silently sighed as he scratched the fox's head.

The brunet didn't seem to notice as he paused in his tracks. "Brings a new meaning to 'Don't let your fears control you"

"Yeah, you could say that" Clay lightly scoffed, continuing to try and comfort Fundy.

404 consistently stayed at least 3 feet ahead of the two, a bright smile plastered onto his face as he acted like a kid in a candy store.

The blond didn't even know he was doing it himself, but he started to stare at the other male. He would never say it out loud, but the brunet indeed looked cute in his 'Magical Boy' form. 

_A shame that a cute face was wasted on such an annoying person._

Clay swatted the thought away as George continued to question Fundy about...Every. Little. Thing.

It was honestly starting to get annoying to the blond, but he stayed silent. He didn't want to use the effort. 

Clay sighed inwardly as he took out his phone, checking the time. His feet planted themself into the ground as he shook his head lightly. "I should get going Fundy"

"Ah yeah...forgot you had a life" The fox sighed silently before looking back to 404. "You should get going to kid. And, you should return back to normal when needed" 

The brunet paused, looking over to them in a confused manner. 404 softly smiled before nodding lightly. Just as he was about to run away though, he turned around, sticking his tongue out at Clay before giggling and continuing on his way.

The blond's eyes lingered just a second too long.

As soon as he felt the soft flutter in his stomach, he mentally crushed the poor butterfly. Fundy had already jumped out of the blond's arms. Clay let out a drawn-out groan before turning around and walking away. "Take care...Floris"

The fox watched the boy disappear in the crowd with an amused expression.

**December 6th, Tuesday, 5:02 PM**

George walked down the street silently as he smiled to himself. He just...accepted this was his fate now.

Sending another quick text to his friend, he was about to pocket his phone before it dinged softly.

_ ≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃ _

**Gogy**

can i crash at your place for a while?

_5:03 PM_

**Samsung Refrigerator**

AHA

i knew it

i was wondering for a hot second why you weren't at school

and then daniel came back from the nurse cussing you out

it was hilarious

_5:04 PM_

**Gogy**

you can't see it but i'm rolling my eyes

_5:04 PM_

**Samsung Refrigerator**

whatever

get yo ass over here so i can destroy you at mario kart

_5:05 PM_

**Gogy**

you couldn't even if you tried

_5:06 PM_

_seen_

_≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃_

The brunet's large smile was evident as he pocketed his phone, walking down the streets as he softly hummed.

By now he had already turned back to his regular school uniform, his clout goggles in his pant pocket.

George took a deep breath, walking into the apartment complex. Wandering the halls for a moment, he was met with a familiar-looking door. Just as he was about to knock on the apartment door before him, the door burst open, revealing his very excited friend.

"Took you long enough Gogy," Nick Armstrong said with a large grin, George giving the other male one of his signature eye rolls.

The two had been friends since forever, and they both knew each other like the backs of their hands.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here to steal your couch now," the boy said, throwing his bag in the corner before walking over and collapsing on his friend's couch.

"That bad?" Nick lightly whistled as he fidgeted with his white bandana.

George rolled over onto his back, staring up at the blank ceiling. "Don't know. So I'm gonna hide out here for a while so they can cool down. Like a controlled fire sorta," he murmured silently.

"Yeah that's totally gonna work out," Nick said from the other side of the room, sifting through stuff in his fridge.

"Fuck off"

"Who's 'off' and where do I fuck them?" The other boy called back, causing George to snort.

"You disgust me" George hissed as Nick walked over, pressing a small Pepsi to the brunet's cheek.

"You know you love it" Nick walked off again as soon as George took the small soda in his hand.

A layer of silence fell upon the duo. It wasn't suffocating and completely welcomed. George silently hummed to himself as he lightly closed his eyes.

"Hey, Nick?" George called out suddenly.

"What's up?"

"When are you going to...talk to them? It's been...really long..." George said hesitantly. He knew he was treading thin ice talking about this topic to his friend.

At first, the boy was met with complete silence before he heard a soft inhale.

"And when are you gonna accept the truth of Kaleb's death?" Nick said, his words laced with obvious anger. The brunet flinched. He could feel the burning gaze of his best friend on him as he lightly sighed.

"Sorry Nick"


	6. First Target

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is filler. I won't lie.
> 
> *insert another shameless plug of me begging for kudos and comments*
> 
> (2/2 chapters today)

**December 7th, Wednesday, 3:31 AM**

George woke up with a soft gasp as he looked around at his surroundings.

Realizing where he was, he sighed, collapsing back into the couch.

His hands covered his face as tears easily ran down his face, the brunet letting out silent choked sobs, as to not wake Nick.

"I...I didn't mean it"

The boy didn't see, but a large black wolf towered over him eerily. Its pelt was a mix of running ink and black fog, the only thing with a real form its glowing white eyes that illuminated the living room.

The wolf slowly leaned down into the ear of the sobbing boy.

 _"You're a monster. Just like us"_ it said softly, George continuing to uncontrollably sob.

**December 7th, Wednesday, 7:23 AM**

Fundy sighed.

He forgot to ask for George's number so they could keep in contact. But...it was fine. His Terror was quite loud, which should aid him in finding the brunet.

The fox trotted down the sidewalk, ignoring the people who cooed at him as he passed. 

_Stupid form._

The fox lightly shook his head before continuing down the road, his ears rotating around to pick out the voice of 404's Terror.

Floris lightly parted his mouth to catch a scent, the fox softly exhaling as he picked up the pace, stopping in front of a large apartment complex. Rushing up the stairs two steps at a time, Floris walked down the seemingly endless hallways before stopping in front of one of the many doors.

Walking up to scratch at it, he paused as the door seem to swing back barely at his touch.

_Seems like the door is unlocked. Weird._

Fundy shrugged before walking into the apartment. 404, or well, George, sat on a couch. He was in simple blue jeans and a sweatshirt that seemed a bit oversized for him. The brunet glanced over to Fundy, surprised.

"How did you get in?" George murmured as he walked over to Floris, crouching down.

"Door's unlocked" Fundy flicked his tail over to the door. George cracked a small smile at a thought before sighing. 

Floris stayed planted to the ground. He watched in extreme fear as the extremely large Wolf Terror behind 404 smiled as well. He didn't get why neither Clay nor George couldn't see it, but it was fucking freaky. The wolf was mainly made out of running ink that fell onto the floor in a puddle, and a black fog that covered up the rest of its appearance. Two glowing white eyes stared back at the fox.

The fox stayed silent as he watched George stand up and walk over to the kitchen, grabbing his clout goggle before walking back to Fundy.

He really didn't know what the boy's fear could possibly be for a Terror to get that big, but Fundy would try to honor 404's privacy for now.

"Let's head out then?" George tilted his head as he slowly put on the clout goggles, his attire changing completely.

Floris sighed before nodding, flicking his ear again as he walked out, leading George out.

**December 7th, Wednesday, 7:39 AM**

Clay watched a bit amused as he spotted 404 out of the corner of his eyes climb up onto the building, obviously exhausted.

The brunet doubled over as he panted heavily, Fundy sympathetically sighed before clambering off his back. The fox trotted over to Clay before stretching with a yawn. "Alright, who's the lucky person this time?"

Clay hummed for a moment in thought. "We'll be taking a visit at Appledin Park. We should find her there" Clay murmured, George suddenly freezing up at the mention of the place. Clay raised an eyebrow but didn't dig any further.

"What's the Terror type?"

"Eagle Terror" Clay responded curtly, causing Fundy to curse under his breath.

"Saddening...but it's not our business," Fundy mumbled before he spun around to face George, mouth open as he was about to say something. "Eagle Terrors can mean different things, but usually means the fear of parents"

404 paused before slowly nodding along.

Clay sunk back into thought before shaking his head. "Let's get going then" The blond muttered before walking quickly over to 404, sweeping him up again in a bridal carry.

"What is with you and carrying me like this?" The brunet hissed at him, not nessecarily struggling.

"Do you want to walk there? I mean I'm totally fine with dropping you again-"

"No! Don't do that again you damn bastard!" George said suddenly, cutting off Clay as he clung just a bit tighter to the blond.

Clay's mind inhaled before letting out a shrill scream in confusion. Why was wrong with him? Why was this brunet so damn amusing to tease? Why in the world did he-

The blond mentally slapped himself out of it as he simply smiled at 404.

"Aww, is the little _pussy cat_ scared?" The blond softly snickered as he watched the brunet roll his eyes.

"I'm not a freaking pussy cat" 404 hissed back.

Clay raised an eyebrow before starting to slowly make his way over to the building's edge jokingly. 

George started to scream out bloody murder. "Please! No!"

The blond started to uncontrollably wheeze as 404 gave him a look of seething rage.

"Isn't your magical boy form basically a cat?" Clay managed to say through wheezes. 

"Yeah, yeah...laugh it up" 

Fundy cleared his throat, as he silently sighed to himself.

"Alright, it was nice and all seeing you two 'bond' and stuff, but we need to get going" Floris growled lightly, jumping onto Clay's shoulder.

The blond smirked silently before shrugging. "Alright then"

**???, ???, ??? ??**

8-5 18-9-19-5-19, 6-15-21-12 14-9-7-8-20  
20-15 8-9-19 23-9-14-7-19, 23-5 2-12-15-15-13  
19-13-9-12-5-19 15-6 20-8-5 16-12-1-25-20-9-13-5, 15-8 19-15 20-18-21-5

12-9-5-19 19-20-21-3-11 9-14 8-9-19 20-5-5-20-8  
23-15-18-4-19 16-1-9-14-20-5-4 9-14 18-5-4  
3-1-18-5-6-21-12 23-8-5-18-5 25-15-21 20-18-5-1-4

8-9-19 11-14-9-7-8-20 9-19 21-14-1-14-19-23-5-18-5-4  
8-9-19 25-1-18-14 21-14-18-1-22-5-12-5-4  
1-12-12 8-5 23-9-19-8-5-19 9-19 6-15-18 15-14-5 12-1-19-20 20-8-18-15-20-20-12-5


	7. "Do you love them?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team meets its first target, a little girl who just wants the best for her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaAAah I'm struggling to meet the quota of 2 chapters a day but I gotta pog through the pain ;-;
> 
> (also if you're reading this, I love you platonically. I really didn't think anybody would read this lmao)
> 
> Please leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here, it's completely free and means the world to me.
> 
> (P.S. thank you Naomi for going over the plot with me, and screaming together with me when we thought of the most cutest couple scenes to write)

**December 7th, Wednesday, 8:13 AM**

George hated this. Immensely.

Sure, it was 'nice' and all to be carried in this position; but he was starting to get sick of looking down experimentally and then cling even tighter to _that_ bastard.

The brunet inwardly sighed. He hated all of his unnecessary fears. But his fear of heights got the...special podium of fuckery. He really wanted to have the ability to look down at all the city buildings below them, and just, enjoy the view. But it was hard. 

George silently hummed in thought before he felt Dream slow down, the rhythmic flap of his wings halting. Peeking his head slowly out, the brunet softly smiled at the sight.

Well first, solid ground, but besides that, old memories started to flood through the boy. George ignored Fundy's and Dream's words that seemed to fade away as he slipped out of the blond's arms.

Walking through the emerald green grass, his fingers slowly traced the old chains of a small swing set.

The world seemed to almost fade away, his eyes glued to the swing. Sitting down silently on one of the two swing seats, his thoughts wandered.

_What had happened?_

**??? ??, ???, ???? ??**

_George silently hummed as he rocked slightly back and forth in the small swing, his mind free from stress. The young brunet looked around softly. The small playground was as deserted as ever, but he didn't mind._

_It gave him more time to think._

_"George? What are you doing out here?" Hearing the familiar voice, the boy tore his gaze away from the ground, a grin evident on his face as he realized who it was._

_"█████! I thought Mom and Dad had scheduled you for band practice and violin today?"_

_The other gave a small shrug. "I don't care, I won't be able to live up to their expectations so why bother going" █████ grinned as they sat down on the other swing. Even when both were sitting down it was apparent how much taller █████ was._

_George silently smiled back to the other before looking up at the crystal blue sky._

_"It's nice that you're spending time with me...but...they only want the best for you █████-"_

_"That's what they all say" █████ hissed suddenly, interrupting George._

_"But look at you, Georgie! You're given the bare fucking minimum and yet you survive! Sometimes I wish I was you..." They cried out, tears streaming down their face._

_"I just want a god damn moment where mother leans down into my ear and tells me I did a good job, not 'you could've done better'"_

_█████, unaware from their crying, didn't seem to see the indifferent expression devoid of all emotions that George wore. He stared at █████, happiness dancing in the brunet's eyes as a crazy look spread throughout his face._

_If only █████ knew how much the boy **wanted** to take his place._

**December 7th, Wednesday, 8:15 AM**

"GEORGE!"

The brunet jolted out of the memory as he looked up, Dream standing before him with cross arms. 

"I was gonna start celebrating since I thought you were dead in there" Dream huffed softly before pulling George up. "How disappointing"

George gave the other an eye roll before looking around at the giant expanse of land before them. It was full of emerald green grass, people of all ages and genders running around and playing, or just enjoying the view. 

Seemed like they got rid of the playground.

"So did you guys find the target?" George muttered as Fundy bounded over to the two.

"Yep," Dream paused before pointing at a small Asian girl who sat between what seemed to be her parents. She looked like she wasn't even eight years old yet. "I'm almost 90% sure that's the one"

The brunet blinked lightly. "But she doesn't look a day over-"

"Remember idiot, _anyone_ and _everyone_ has a Terror." The taller blond growled, flicking George's forehead lightly. The brunet shot Dream a glare before staring at the family on the bench again.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Simple, Fundy distracts the parents while you go in and try to get info on her" Dream grinned. 

"Why not you?" George muttered as he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not that good with children..." Dream hesitantly said, causing George to lightly giggle. The brunet silently smiled to himself before taking off his safety glasses, causing him to transform back. The safety glasses once again returning to the form of simple clout goggles.

Fundy seemed to smile (George didn't even know foxes could do that) before sprinting away. The duo watched from afar as the fox sweetly trotted up to the family. The woman seemed confused for a moment before Fundy snatched her purse and started _booking_ it.

The woman let out a yelp of surprise before running after Fundy, the man joining in as he ran after the two.

"Alright, go talk to her now!" Dream whisper-yelled as he nudged George lightly, the brunet sighing before walking slowly to the girl.

_Stranger danger much, sheesh._

George swatted the thought away before sitting a comfortable distance away from the small girl.

"Hey...aren't you gonna go play with the other kids?" George said softly, the girl looking up sharply. The girl's eyes widened in surprise before returning to normal.

"My mom said to not talk to strangers"

George sighed, yeah, that was expected. "There's nothing I can really do to you...besides, there's a bunch of witnesses around for that" he gestures to everyone else at the park "I'm not gonna lead you anywhere as well. I just needed to talk"

"Alright..." the child said hesitantly.

"But anyway, answer my question please" George smiled reassuringly as he stared out at the park.

"Well...mom said I need to study, and that playing is a waste of time. She also said that I'm too good for the other kids" The small girl swung her feet back and forth as she seemed to continue writing in a small workbook.

The brunet stayed silent for a moment, staring at everything in the workbook. Everything in it looked to be something you would see in...perhaps a third-grade math book?

"How old are you again?" George murmured silently.

"Six! Mummy said I'll be seven in a few months!" The girl said happily. George sunk into thought at the girl's words before shaking his head lightly.

"Then why are you doing the math of a third grader?" 

"Mom and Dad said it was so I can be ahead of the other kids! They're making me study so I can have a good future" The girl smiled happily. George continued to stare at the girl's wrist. 

_Were those bruises?_

"They say that they do everything for my sake. So I don't end up as a bum on the road. Mom says it makes her sad to see me struggle or fail like it was her fault..."The young girl stopped writing as the black fog started to gather on both of her shoulders. "And...I don't want to make her sad. So I study harder, so they don't have to be sad"

As the girl finished talking, two eagles made out of black fog seemed to manifest on her shoulders, their eyes an eery white.

One of the eagles leaned down, whispering in her ear.

_"C'mon sweetie. We know it hurts, but it's for your own good. You need to learn from your own mistakes"_

The brunet watched sadly as he sighed silently.

"Do...do you love your parents?" George said lightly, the girl looking up confused.

"Of course I do! They feed me, clothe me, and give me a place to sleep. Without them, I'd be nothing"

_That's the bear fucking necessities that you need to provide to a child that they signed up for when they decided to not use protection-_

"Do you like studying?" George asked. The girl looked confused from the questions.

"Of course I do. It makes...mommy and daddy happy...and it's one of the only things I do that they ask for me...and I don't want to be ungrateful for their..." the girl tilted her head as she instinctively seemed to reach for her covered-up wrists.

George grew silent as he tried to think of a way to break this astronomical thing to a small child.

"I...I don't love my parents" George started to say unsurely. "Sure, they give me a place to sleep. Food to eat, and expensive gifts...private tutors so I can get better at things...but I don't love them. They treat me like some prized trophy...I'm not a human to them. I'm an object who needs to be fixed" The brunet paused as he gently smiled.

"But am I ungrateful for the things they've done for me? Of course not. Sometimes though...when I imagine if they weren't my parents, I wouldn't want to try to be acquainted with them" George silently watched the girl's eyes go glassy with tears as a look of pain flashed in her eyes.

"I'm sure they love you. But their methods to show it...isn't right"

"But what I'm trying to say is...It's okay to be selfish sometimes...kid" George said softly as he gently patted the girl's shoulder.

The child choked down a sob as she shook lightly.

George softly smiled before standing up, watching the Terrors seemingly shrink. By the time they had stopped, there were only two small black robins sitting on her shoulders.

As he started to walk back, what he hadn't realized was that a certain blond was staring at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I hope I showcased this right...ngl this chapter was a bit hard for me to write)


	8. Darryl Noveschosch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hee hoo, another filler episode
> 
> also, can I have a moment to just rant, SINCE, I COULDN'T FREAKING FIND A MAGICAL BOY AU, SO I LITERALLY WENT THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF MAKING AN AO3 ACCOUNT, AND THEN FINDING OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY USE AO3-
> 
> but ngl it was worth it in the end
> 
> Anyway, leave a kudos or a comment (if you're feeling extra) if you enjoy the story, it's COMPLETELY free and helps a shit ton

**December 7th, Wednesday, 9:27 AM**

"What's the use of the magical boy forms if we don't even use them?" George silently huffed. 

Clay snorted before lightly poking the other in the head. "Just because this time you dealt with a Terror peacefully, doesn't mean they're all peaceful. Some can get really violent depending on what type of fears a person has"

George rolled his eyes but continued to walk, Fundy trailing behind the duo.

"But..you did okay out there" Clay mumbled breathlessly, causing the brunet to silently smirk.

_Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck-_

"Yeah, and you did pretty well doing absolutely nothing" 404 giggled lightly as he gave a small grin to the two.

"But...I think I should get back. Nick is going to go bonkers if I miss our meetup with the others" The brunet murmured before waving lightly at the other two, disappearing into the crowd that overwhelmed the sidewalks of the city.

Clay sighs to himself silently. "This is ridiculous"

Fundy face-palmed with his front paw as he sighed. "You tell me. I suffer watching you struggle with him" He silently hissed.

"What?"

"Nothing"

**December 7th, Wednesday, 12:49 PM**

"Where the hell were you all morning?" Nick asked, finally changing into something that wasn't his sleeping clothes.

"I'll tell you when you get older" George yelled back as he scrolled through his phone, the boy laying comfortably on the couch.

Nick's place was quite modern despite being an apartment. It had a sleek interior but always seemed to be messy with Nick's lifestyle. Soda cans were strewn about and random trash hidden in the most random of places.

From how much he slacked off, yet still had a very comfortable lifestyle, it was a surprise of his position as the son of a famous CEO.

"Dude! Just because I'm one year younger than you doesn't mean you get the right to say that! I'm like...17" Nick spluttered.

"Have I told you about the bird and the bees?" George murmured, fidgeting with his phone indifferently.

"Oh shut it, Georgie"

The brunet grew still, his finger hovering over his phone as he slowly sat up on the couch, the blanket that had been draped over him sliding off as he did so.

Nick slowly walked out into the living room again, tieing his signature white bandana across his forehead. 

"Sorry" Nick murmured begrudgingly, dragging a hand through his messy black hair.

"No. It's okay"

"...we can...visit him next month if you'd like"

George flinched lightly as he sighed, hiding his face in his hands. "Do you think he would want to see me?"

"Nobody can hold a grudge that long, Gogy" Nick scoffed lightly as he gave a reassuring smile.

The brunet offered a weak nod before fidgeting with his sweater strings. "Let's just go meet the others, we're running behind"

The other boy stared for a second longer before nodding.

**December 7th, Wednesday, 12:53 PM**

Stepping out of the car, George internally sighed. 

_Social interactions. Yay._

The city sidewalks were busy like always as George stared at the small coffee shop, hidden away from all the bustle.

It had been a while hadn't it? He had forgotten how amazing Darryl's baking was by now.

He flinched a bit as he felt someone grab his shoulder, reeling back a little before realizing it was Nick. 

"Damn you're getting jumpy lately..." Nick murmured as he lightly blinked before shaking his head. "But whatever, let's get going. I've been craving Bad's muffins"

George offered a nervous smile to the other before they both made their way into the shop.

The sight that greeted them back was complete and absolute chaos.

The student president of his class, or Techno (nobody knew his real name), had Tommy in an arm hold on the ground. The blond screaming bloody murder as Will tried to pry Techno off the child. There was a lot of screaming such as, 'Blood for the blood god', 'HE SAID SORRY-' and George's favorite, 'There's children here Techno!'.

Darryl, one of his best friends, was running around frantically trying to calm everyone down.

Toby was watching happily as he nursed a cup of tea, speaking in a hushed voice to a person George didn't recognize.

The brunet paused before leaning over to Nick and whispering, "Who's that?" He gestured gingerly to the tall blond talking to Toby.

"Clay, he's a new transfer student. With the way he acts, everyone easily swoons over him" Nick shrugged before jogging up to the mess of Techno and Tommy. The male stared for a moment before crouching down and sneering at Tommy.

George scoffed before rolling his eyes, the brunet taking a glance at Clay, before realizing the other was already staring. 

Yeah, he could _somewhat_ understand why everyone did like him so much.

The other boy had a nice jawline that could probably cut freaking grass. He sported a messy head of blond hair that was probably styled to look that way because _boy_ did it look good on him. Freckles dusted their nose and cheeks perfectly, paired with what George assumed was emerald green eyes.

Clay also wore a large green sweatshirt with a derpy smiley face in the middle. It was paired with ripped jeans that fit around the boy snuggly that showed off his figure wonderfully.

The brunet let his eyes wander for a moment before he snorted, looking away quickly.

_'You're still the same'_

George snapped his head up as he heard a soft and strange voice echo from across the room.

_What the fuck was that._

The brunet swatted the thought away as he turned his attention back to the main chaos in the cafe. Walking over quickly to Bad, he placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder. "Lay off Bad, it's no use," George said with a quiet chuckle.

The other male silently sighed as he pushed up his glasses a bit. "S-sorry that the meetup is a bit on the...rowdy side" 

"Nah, I've gotten used to it" George muttered with a placating smile.

Darryl gave a strained smile before heading behind the counter of the quaint shop, taking out a basket full of individually wrapped cookies. The boy with some effort walked back to George before placing the basket on a nearby table.

"To be honest, I'm surprised that you managed to set up a meetup with how busy you are"

Darryl lightly spluttered as he looked back up at George. "What are you talking about? School is rarely a problem, and the shop never gets crowded"

"I mean, you're always swooning over that one singer that it might as well be your job, what was his name again? Skep-" George didn't get to finish that sentence as Bad clamped a hand over his mouth desperately.

"Shush you muffin!"

"Aww, are you embarrassed?" The brunet snickered before Bad sighed, walking away as he disappeared into the back of the shop.

George triumphantly smiled before grabbing a frosted cookie in the basket and carefully unwrapping it. 

"TIME OUT TECHNO, TIME OUT-" 

"FOOL YOU CAN'T 'TIME OUT' IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR-"

George softly giggled as he listened to the group bicker amongst themselves. He could swear that he felt someone's burning gaze boring into him though. 


	9. Darryl Noveschosch (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, it's Bad arc! (time skip goes brrrr because I had to make it go zoom for George to get back in school) Again, thank you for reading my fic ^-^
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here! It's completely free and helps me a shit ton.
> 
> (Also, slowing down updates to one per day. If I can, I'll make it two updates sometimes)

**December 10th, Saturday, 1:49 PM**

Three days.

It had been exactly three days before the last time Dream and Fundy had contacted George. 

It was a bit of an understatement to say that the brunet was agitated.

"Hey, you okay dude? I've beaten you twice...and that's a lot more times than usual" Nick raised an eyebrow as he poked the other's cheek lightly. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good...just thinking bout' something" George murmured silently, back propped against the couch as his limp hand barely held the controller in it.

Nick rolled his eyes as he tied his bandana a bit tighter. "Whatever you say Gogy, this is just another chance for me to gain bragging rights then" The male snickered lightly.

George rolled his eyes before he tossed the thought aside, focusing back into the world as he grinned smugly.

"Get ready to be schooled in Mario kart, kid"

**December 12th, Monday, 7:48 AM**

"Gogy...Georrgeeeee..."

The brunet grunted into his pillow, not willing to move.

"GET THE FUCK UP!" Before George could retaliate, he felt a soda can _bonk_ him on the head.

The brunet groaned as he sat up unwillingly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes roughly.

"What the fuck is it this time?" The boy said in a hushed tone, his voice creaky from not using it.

He could hear Nick snort before throwing him his school uniform and a water bottle. "Dude, you forgot? You gotta go back to school" Nick muttered silently.

"Fan-fucking-tastic" George grunted before getting ready for the day.

**December 12th, Monday, 8:05 AM**

Clay ran a hand through his hair nervously as he fidgeted with the tie of his winter uniform.

Why the fuck did 404 have to be the one to go to his school? And also be the infamous trouble maker of said school?

The blond groaned before finally finding himself in front of the high school. Darting through the halls and the crowds of bickering students of Covet High, Clay stumbled into Techno quickly.

"Thank god, Techno, have you seen Nick-" 

"Room 345. You know how much he likes being early with George so they can do whatever they want with the classroom," The pink-haired man said without looking up from his phone. Clay lightly grimaced at the mention of George before shaking his head, returning to maneuvering his way through the crowd.

After he had somehow made it by the literal human barrier, he stumbled into his homeroom.

The classroom was mostly empty...except for the two bickering boys sitting next to the window of the classroom.

As Clay entered the room, George's head snapped up, the two's eyes locked together.

The brunet indeed looked different when he wasn't in his magical boy attire. But it was a welcomed difference in Clay's eyes.

404's outfit was similar to Clay's, with the exception of small details that made all the difference to Clay in his eyes. Instead of the winter uniform, he had the summer uniform, which sported short sleeves instead of long sleeves. He had a blue sweatshirt tied around his waist, that was paired with loose-fitting jeans instead of the school's dark-colored pants. George also wore a pair of checkered vans along with a set of pastel blue headphones that hung around his neck comfortably.

But to say it more simply:

Clay was gay panicking over how good-looking the brunet looked.

As the two stared at each other for a second longer, George was the first one to break away as he lightly scoffed. The fluttering in Clay's heart picked up a bit excessively before calming down lightly.

"Clay! There you are!" Nick looked overjoyed as he bolted over to the blond, throwing an arm over his shoulders despite their obvious height difference.

"Yep, I'm here now," Clay said with a slight grin.

"But anyway, I was wondering if you knew what was happening with Darryl?" 

Nick tilted his head in confusion before his face lit up with realization. The Caucasian male gave a silent sigh before leaning into Clay's ear. "To be fair, I don't know. He's the type that gives but never gets if you know what I mean. He never asks for anything or tries to worry anybody, so nobody knows about him truly _personally."_ Nick paused to look around.

"He also never complains about anything, so for all we could know is that nothing bad is actually happening and he's just on his man period or something." The boy muttered before sighing to himself dramatically.

Clay scoffed before jokingly shoving the other male off himself. "But isn't it a bit weird how he's been acting so reserved lately?"

"Yeah...I guess. But if you really wanna investigate 'Mr. Detective' then we can go visit the shop after school" Nick paused before he grinned like the Cheshire cat. "And keep it between you and me lover boy, but I can drag Gogy along as well" 

The blond spluttered for a moment before punching the other in the shoulder.

"Ow! How could you do this to me blondie, this is child abuse!" Nick lightly pouted before traveling back over to George.

"So you admit that you're a child?" George suddenly chimed in.

"Oh fuck off Gogy"

Clay lightly chuckled at the other's shenanigans before sinking into his own thoughts.

The only reason he had asked about Darryl was because of the meetup a few days ago. The other boy just felt...off. He couldn't really check what was wrong since he had left his mask at home, and he could also only interact with Terrors in his magical boy form.

Clay sighed to himself before taking his seat silently as other students started to slowly file in.

**December 12th, Monday, 9:12 AM**

The blond was getting bored.

The more his math teacher talked, the more it seemed to fade into background noise as Clay proceeded to wander in his thoughts.

As he inwardly sighed, he felt his phone vibrate just a tiny bit in his pocket. Quickly taking a peek at it, he frowned as he realized it was a text. Just as he was about to pocket his phone again, he realized who it was.

_ ≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃ _

**Unknown Number**

heyo

we didn't really get to formally introduce ourselves at all despite the meetup -_-

so hi, my names george

(btw if youre wondering, i got your number from nick) 

_9:13 AM_

_ Contact 'Unknown Number' name has been changed to 'Gogy' _

**Clay :D**

my name is Clay, hope you can put up with me for the rest of the year

_9:14 AM_

**Gogy**

you talk to nick so you're already disowned in my heart

_9:14 AM_

**Clay :D**

how could you do this to me georgeee

_9:14 AM_

_≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃_

"Mr. Andersons?" Clay lightly flinched as his name was called before he looked up confused.

"Uh, yes?"

The teacher put out his hand as he gestured to the blond's phone. Clay silently sighed before sitting up and walking up to the teacher sheepishly. Reluctantly handing over his phone, the teacher scoffed.

"No phones in class, you'll get it back after the period is over" The man growled as he shooed the boy away.

Clay quickly walked back to his seat before shooting a glare at George as he passed by him. The brunet simply giggled, causing his poor heart to jump into his throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *vibing happily because I've managed to post 2 chapters a day for a hot second now*  
> Procrastination: *raises knife slowly*  
> Me: oh no! anyways-  
> Writer's block: *loads shotgun with malicious intent*  
> Me: Ok now it's starting to become overkill  
> Burnout: *revs up chainsaw*  
> Me: SIR PLEASE NO-


	10. Darryl Noveschosch (Part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, progress in the dnf.
> 
> Oh and also Bad and Sapnap are there.
> 
> Leave a kudos and comment while you're still here, they give me A LOT of serotonin and also help so much
> 
> (P.S. I'm rn also writing a Magical Coffee Shop AU, so sorry if I do stray from writing 2 chapters a day)

**December 12th, Monday, 3:29 PM**

It was raining.

The rain was light, not anything to be serious about, but more of an inconvenience than anything.

But it was fine, all three boys had predicted that it would and had brought their umbrellas. So no cliche romantic umbrella scene. (It wasn't like Clay was sad or anything about it...)

The trio was currently walking through the streets, George was a couple of feet ahead of the two boys. He seemed to be texting someone from his constant smiles and laughter.

"Why are we visiting Darryl's shop again?" George asked, breaking through the silence that had settled on the group.

"Because Darryl is acting out of it, and as his friends, it's our duty to find out what's wrong," Nick said with a shrug, twirling his umbrella lightly.

George paused before nodding slowly, picking up his pace a bit.

As soon as the brunet was out of ear-shot, Nick reached over and started to speak to Clay in a hushed tone. "Dude stop checking out George's ass. It's painstakingly obvious"

Clay's face started to burn as he spluttered heavily.

"I'm n-not staring at h-his...hindquarters" Clay murmured in an embarrassed manner.

"Uh-huh, and pigs fly." Nick scoffed lightly before pausing. He sighed as he jabbed at Clay a bit "C'mon...nothing to be ashamed of. I've seen you stare at him like you want to eat him up"

"I do not-"

Clay stopped as Nick cleared his throat, flashing the other a sleazy grin. 

Then, the boy started to sing. "If you're gay, then you're gay, don't pretend that you're straight! You can be who you are every day of the week-"

The blond responded quickly by elbowing the boy in the stomach. Hard. The action finally shut up the boy, who continued to pout.

"You can't run away from destiny forever Clay!"

"I can run away from it if I don't have it in the first place!"

"Not to interrupt you guys or anything...but we're here" George suddenly chimed in, the bickering between the two instantly ceasing.

**December 12th, Monday, 3:38 PM**

As the tiny bell of the cafe door ringed, Darryl looked up from behind the counter surprised.

"Oh! What are you muffins doing here?" He tilted his head.

The boy's actions were somewhat sluggish, and one could tell that he hadn't been sleeping.

"Nothing much...just thought we should drop by for a visit" George gave a reassuring smile before taking a seat.

The brunet paused, noticing the black fog swirling around the boy slowly. Tilting his head in confusion, George frowned. 

_What was Darryl's Terror?_

Clay and Nick both enthusiastically waved at the cafe boy before taking their seat near George as well. 

"How are you doing Darryl?" Clay said somewhat carefully, watching Darryl intently.

George took a quick glance at the blond before inwardly sighing. Clay seemed like a good person, but something about him just seemed...familiar. And George couldn't put a finger on why it was.

The other male paused, nervously pushing his glasses up a bit. "O-oh...just fine. I've had better days"

Clay pursued his lips before lightly nodding, seemingly withdrawing from the conversation. The blond looked deep in thought.

The brunet hummed to himself as he watched the black fog finally take the form. As it swirled around his feet for a moment, it dispersed quickly, revealing a jet-black stallion. The Horse easily towered over the boy, its mane a mixture of weird black goo and black mist. Its eyes were pure white, like the rest of the Terrors.

The horse slowly leaned down into Darryl's ear.

_"They don't care about you as much as I do"_

The boy visibly flinched as he chuckled nervously before quickly vanishing into the back of the store.

George inwardly sighed as he turned his gaze to the floor. Before now, whenever he thought he saw a Terror, he thought he was seeing ghosts. But now that he knew what they actually were, it was a bit more sinister.

Nick tapped his finger on the table as he stared at the spot Darryl had vanished. "You're right Clay. Somethings up"

"I mean...told you so"

"Shut it loverboy"

"Make me" Clay flashed a grin, causing George to jokingly gag at his response.

"Slow your roll, we're not even married yet" Nick rolled his eyes.

**December 12th, Monday, 8:21 PM**

The four continued on like usual after that. By the time they had finished talking, they had realized that it had been maybe five hours.

Darryl sighed, cleaning up the leftover cupcake wrappers the boys left scattered about. "You guys should go home now, I'm about to close up shop anyways"

Clay slowly nodded as he dragged a hand through his blond hair nervously. Darryl was obviously having a rough time about... _something_...but Clay couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was somewhat frustrating...but he supposed people wouldn't just tell you their life story at the drop of a pen.

"We'll see you later...Darryl" George called out softly before walking out of the shop. Clay quickly followed after with Nick behind him.

As soon as all three were outside, George sighed before looking over to Nick. "You can head back to the apartment first, I want to get some fresh air before returning"

Nick nodded before looking over to Clay and sending him a wink. Before the blond could flip him off though, the other was gone with the wind.

Clay stayed silent as he carefully watched the brunet.

George didn't say anything as he took off his backpack, leaving it under the little overhang of the shop. Holding his umbrella in hand, he slowly stepped out into the light drizzle, a carefree look on his face.

The city streets were pretty empty by this time now, with the exception of a few cars passing by.

The brunet tilted his head up to the murky skies as he gave a dreamy smile.

Continuing to stare at George, Clay could feel his heart skip a beat. The other looked so...ethereal like this.

The other male was slightly wet from the rain, but not enough that his clothes clung to his figure. The water made his already pale skin seemingly shine. With the street lights barely managing to light up George's face, it made a beautiful sight.

If he hadn't known better, Clay would've snapped a picture and enter it into the photography class.

"What are you doing? You know you might catch a cold right?" Clay said breathlessly as he opened up his umbrella, stepping out into the rain silently.

"Hmm...hopefully not. But just give me a moment...I forgot how much I loved the rain" The brunet gave a low chuckled as he swept one of his brown locks behind his ear. The action causing Clay's heart to scream.

Clay managed to get out a joking groan before reaching out his hand from under the umbrella to catch a few raindrops.

"The rain always held its own sentimental value to me" George silently murmured, not sparing a glance at Clay. "I've always just found it so carefree. And when I was little, I always would run out into the rain and just...stand there. Like I was the only person in the world. Just me, and the rain"

George gave another soft smile before turning to Clay.

"I think I was hoping it might just wash me away. From my sins and...worries"

Clay stared at the other, time seemingly slow down right there and then.

He could feel his quickened heartbeat as he simply took in how George looked. The blond hadn't really noticed how deep George's eyes were. And as Clay continued to stare, he could swear he saw speckles of gold in the other's eyes.

The blond inhaled sharply, turning away. His face was on fire.

_Ba-dump._

Fuck.

_Ba-dump._

Clay was in love.


	11. Darryl Noveschosch (Part 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEE HOO BAD IS IN SOME DEEP WATERS NOW
> 
> oh and also dnf things
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here, they help a shit ton and give me enough serotonin to last the entire day
> 
> also if you ever see a Character arc, assume something bad is gonna happen to them, or they're gonna join the magical boy team ;)

**December 13th, Tuesday, 8:27 AM**

"What happened between you two?" Nick grunted as he slumped into his chair, watching through narrowed eyes.

George and Clay both turned to their friend in confusion.

George hummed in thought. Had something happened between the two? The brunet really couldn't tell to be fair. Sure...it did feel a bit different between the two after whatever the fuck happened last night. But he didn't think it was anything...big.

The trio was currently back in their homeroom classroom, waiting for classes to start. Clay was sitting in his chair backward, head resting comfortably on the back of his chair so he could talk to George, who sat right behind him. 

"Nothing Nicky" George muttered as he sighed, taking out a strawberry candy. Unwrapping it slowly, he popped one into his mouth. 

Nick stared at the two through narrowed eyes. "Yeah...whatever you say Gogy"

George rolled his eyes before turning back to Clay, holding out a small candy he flashed a smile. "Want one?"

Clay paused before shrugging, plucking it out of the other's hand and stuffing it into his sweater pocket.

The brunet continued to stare for a moment, his gaze tracing the other's jawline before settling on his semi-exposed collar bone. Blinking lightly, George tore his eyes away as he bit his lower lip silently.

George frowned before slipping on his headphones, the soft lofi filling his ears to distract him from the world.

**December 13th, Tuesday, 12:39 PM**

"What do you mean Darryl has gone missing?" Clay muttered as he tilted his head in a confused manner. George and Nick seemed to share a look before the brunet started to slowly shake his head, causing Nick to inhale sharply.

"You heard me, idiot. Darryl. Has. Gone. Missing" Techno hissed as he propped his feet up onto the lunch table. 

The students were on lunch break at the moment, but all of their appetites had been drained by the time they had heard the news. 

George scrunched up his nose as he fidgeted with his headphones. "Without a trace or word?"

Techno nodded in confirmation, causing the brunet to curse under his breath. 

Clay sucked his lower lip between his teeth as he sunk into thoughts. 

_What could have possibly happened?_

Sure, the boy was acting a bit strange usually, but there was nothing that he did or said that stuck out like a sore thumb. All in all, Darryl's disappearance felt...off to say the least.

"Was there any huge thing, or notable thing, that happened before he started acted weird?" Clay asked as he tapped the lunch table lightly with his finger.

A strangling silence enveloped the lunch table where the group sat at. As it settled, it was starting to seem like nobody had an answer to the question.

"Well..." Tommy started to say, causing everyone to stare at the blond. The boy cleared his throat nervously before scratching the back of his neck. "He had been in a relationship...right?"

As he was met with everyone's silence, Tommy sighed. "I'm suggesting something happened after the big man got a girl"

"So what the hell do we do then?" Clay muttered, feeling a bit stumped.

The small clatter of a tray could be heard as the Student council president, Phil Watson, joined them. "Nothing. Despite our ages, we're still kids. The best we can do is not get in the way of the police's investigation and keep our eyes peeled"

"I hate when you're right" Techno grunted. Phil sighed sympathetically as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"So we're just going to stand by and wait for our friend's dead body to turn up then?" George suddenly muttered out of the blue.

Phil frowned as he turned to the brunet. "Well, I wouldn't say that-"

George suddenly slammed the table's top with his hand, cutting off the other boy. 

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to do that then," George said calmly, his words laced with obvious anger. A weird type of emotion seemed to stir in his eyes, which made Clay stare into the boy's eyes unblinkingly. "I think I'm feeling sick today. So I'll be taking my leave"

The brunet flashed the others at the table a strained smile before standing up abruptly. 

"But George, this will ruin your attendance-"

Just as the boy had taken a few steps to leave, he whirled around. "So be it. I'm already a suspected troublemaker in the school's heart. Why not support that idea, I don't fucking care anymore" His words falling out of his mouth like honey, his aura betraying his words though.

As George left without another word, Clay sucked in his breath.

_That was actually kinda hot._

**December 13th, Tuesday, 12:52 PM**

As George stormed out of the school, his emotions boiled heavily under the stoic persona he had built up after all these years.

_"You don't need them. They're a liability. They obviously don't know Darryl enough to care about him"_

Hearing the small whisper in his ears, he smiled with a crazed look. Yeah...he would believe his Terror this time around. He was going to find Darryl no matter what, he was a god-forsaken magical boy after all.

Pushing through the crowds of streets, George didn't let anything hinder him as he stood tall. He could hear his father's words start to rise inside of him.

_"Don't let them see your weakness. You're a diamond among the rubble, so act like it"_

_"Don't leave room for emotional attachment. It leaves you open for anything. Stay steady, strike first, and always be on guard"_

The brunet continued to grin as he silently laughed to himself. Who knew that the old man would finally be useful for something?

Just as George was about to take another step though, he stumbled as he felt his feet get tangled up. Looking around angrily, he froze as his gaze stopped on a familiar-looking fox.

"Fundy?"

Before he could see anything else, the Fox slipped away into the crowd.

The brunet took in a deep breath before running after the mysterious animal, the only clues that he was getting were the random flashes of orange. Before George knew it, he was in a long dark alleyway. Treading the area softly he spun around at the sound of a trash can getting knocked over.

As he saw the familiar bi-pedal fox standing on top of a nearby trash can, a smile broke out from the boy. "Fundy! Where have you been!"

"Eh...places." The fox smiled as he clambered onto the boy's shoulder.

"Where's Dream? I thought he's always with you?" George tilted his head as he scratched the fox's chin lightly.

Fundy sighed as he waved his paw dismissively. "He's just like you dingus. He has a life that he needs to attend to" He grunted silently before his giant fluffy ears perked up. "But I think you know why I'm here"

"Darryl" George silently said as he took out his clout goggles once more. Slipping the accessory on, his attire changed back to his usual magical boy outfit.

"Yeah...and we need to go find him quickly. Something's off, I just know it"

The brunet nodded quickly before jumping up and grabbing onto the side of the building. His gloves and boots easily suctioned to surfaces when he needed them, which helped him travel through the city.

Sucking in a quick breath, George took on the agility of a cat as he searched for his friend.


	12. Darryl Noveschosch (Part 5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bonus chapter! (this makes it the third chapter I've posted in a day...woo)
> 
> And now we're back at the magical boy stuff.
> 
> Oh and if you're reading this, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment please while you're still here, kudos help a shit ton and I love reading your guys comments ^-^ (dude seeing you guys comment is like a drug, and I'm the addict. They give me such much motivation and serotonin to write this fic)

_**TW: Mild Violence+Torture**_

**??? ??, ???, ??? ??**

Darryl's blood ran cold.

He couldn't feel anything. He felt like time was all condensed into that moment. There wasn't a time where he wasn't in this place. And there was no future for him that wasn't filled with darkness.

The boy couldn't move any part of his body. Every inch of his skin and every bone in his body felt like it was broken beyond repair. His body screamed at him, Darryl biting back tears. 

_No, I can't give her what she wants to see._

He bit back a scream as he felt a hand roughly hold his face. Creaking open his eyes after what felt like internity, he silently hissed at the blinding light that greeted him.

As he blinked slowly, eyes filled with tears, he finally adjusted to the darkness of the room.

"Darryl...look at me, sweetie"

The sweet voice fell onto Darryl's ears like honey...imaginably smooth. The boy craved her so much. Oh, how he wanted-

_No! Please! Get out of my head!_

Even with his frail figure, the boy tried to struggle against his restraints. The wood of the chair that he was tied to digging into his skin horribly. He let out a cry of pain as he felt something stab through his leg. Warm crimson ran down his calf as he trembled.

Funnily...it was the first warmth he had felt in days.

"I. Said. Look. At. Me" The soft voice said a bit more forcefully.

Blinking back the large tears that were running down his cheeks now, he stared at the girl before him.

She was his age, and at first glance, she seemed like any other pretty blonde in the crowd. She wore nice, formal, pastel clothes. The brown crimson blood that stuck to her skin and clothes ruined her image though.

"It's gonna be alright...Dar Dar" She whispered sweetly. Slowly, she untied the boy, Darryl's limbs falling away uselessly. Bruises lined his wrists and ankles, the boy unable to think straight.

A pair of arms wrapped around him, Darryl unable to push the girl off or retaliate in any way. The boy got no warmth from the hug as she whispered sweet nothing into his ear. He hated the sickeningly sweet metallic stench that hung in the air. He hated everything here.

"It's gonna be okay Darryl. It's just you and me, sweetie"

Darryl choked back a sob as he felt himself slip back under again.

_Please...please leave me alone._

**December 13th, Tuesday, 1:49 PM**

"You think he's here?" George breathlessly said, fidgeting with one of his jacket swings. 

The brunet and Fundy were currently walking down a very fishy neighborhood. You know, the types you would pass while driving, where you could get mugged at any moment. 

"I don't _think_ he's here, I _know_ he is"

"Jeez...confident much" George lightly joked, trying to calm his nerves.

Fundy said nothing, trotting lightly on the sidewalk as he paused at a house. "Here" 

George slowly dragged himself to the fox's side, taking in the look of the place.

One could tell it had been abandoned. It looked like with one blow, it would fall apart. George felt serious haunted vibes from it and just like haunted houses, did not want to go in at all.

"So...Darryl's in here?" 

"My nose never lies, kid" Fundy snorted as he slowly pranced up to the house, George following nervously in the fox's footsteps.

Trying to calm himself, he realized the wisps of black fog swirling around the house. 

_Strange._

As the fox slipped into the house (it had no door, literally), George slowly walked in as well. Every step he took made the floorboards creak eerily. If anything, this whole house was probably a Terror itself with how many fears it had inside it.

_"Behind you"_

George suddenly whirled around as he took a pre-cautious step back.

Before he could react, a flash of silver flashed by the spot he just was. Standing before the brunet was a blonde. She had aesthetic clothes that you would see in pictures on the internet. Her hair was tied up in a very long ponytail, greasy from not taking a shower. Dried up blood stained her clothes, her eyes holding a crazed look in them.

_She can see me._

. . . .

_Fundy paused in his tracks as he looked up at George carefully._

_"Hey...kid. I forgot to tell you something" He murmured carefully, causing the brunet to raise an eyebrow._

_"We're not completely invisible to everyone. If somebody suspects someone is there...or thinks there is, we become visible to them." The fox drew in a long breath._

_"Since magical boys work on imagination...you could say if someone imagines that a person is there, then we'll appear"_

_George nodded slowly as he continued to climb the large building. "And why did you need to say that?"_

_"Just in case, you never know what happens"_

. . . .

"And why are you here with your _weird_ get-up?" the girl smiled dangerously as she took a step towards George, a knife still in her hand.

"Where is Darryl?" He hissed, reaching for a weird canister on his belt.

At the boy's name, the girl laughed. "Oh, Dar Dar? He's just sleeping. He's tired after all"

"Yeah, hell will freeze over before I'll believe you" George narrowed his eyes carefully as he slowly snapped the canister away from his belt.

"Oh..." The girl tilted her head before bolting forward. "Then I hope you bring a coat before I send you there!"

Clicking the canister in his hand as soon as he saw the movement, it quickly extended into a long naginata. Before the knife could get into the vicinity of him, he parried the knife, causing it to get flung to the other side of the room.

The naginata was painted white, and very smooth. Small carvings lined its side that was outlined with black lines. And of course, on its end was a long silver blade.

Before the girl could react, he swiped at her with the naginata, making a horizontal wound across her cheek. The blonde fell back, holding her cheek in shock. A weird emotion danced in her eyes as the black fog around her seem to swirl even faster.

"Y-you...attacked me! You _bastard_ " The blonde stood up as she let out a banshee scream.

The fog seemed to get sucked into her body, seeping through her by the skin. A large, black, inky horn suddenly shot up out the top of her head. Following quickly, her hands seemed to grow bigger before turning into a decaying black, shape-shifting to the form of large claws. Her eyes flickered before turning a full-on white, similarly to a Terror's.

"I _'l_ l **t** e _a_ r y **o** _u_ a _p_ a **r** t _li_ **m** b **by** l **i** _m_ b!"

Her agility seemed to increase by ten-fold as she shot forward. As the brunet tried to block the girl with his naginata, she grabbed onto the weapon firmly before tearing it out of his grasp, flinging it away. She let out a cry before pinning him down by the neck to the floor, his weight causing the ground to whine.

As George tried to gasp for breath, he patted his sides desperately before unsheathing a simple hunting knife. Diving the blade into the girl's side, she screamed out in pain before reeling back, letting go of the brunet.

_Rule number one, ALWAYS CARRY A SECOND BLADE ON YOURSELF, ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM DIDN'T FAIL ME THIS TIME-_

Holding her side in agony, she cried out in frustration as she looked down. At her feet, Fundy has his jaws clamped around her ankle firmly, his sharp canines digging into her skin.

The girl wasted no time, kicking the poor fox in the stomach and throwing him across the old room. As the animal whimpered from the impact with a wall, Fundy fainted.

The blonde pulled the knife out of her side. As the crimson started to run down more, staining her clothes, the wound seemed to seal itself up immediately.

Shooting forward again, she stabbed the boy in his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain as blood seeped through his clothes.

As she raised the knife, George waited for the blade to come back down and plunge itself in him.

The knife whistled dangerously through the air as it made an arc, coming down to end the boy's life.

. . . .

_"George"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Be careful out there"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Even though you're a magical boy, you're still human. And no matter what...humans can always be killed"_

_. . . ._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (P.S. this is not the end, you really think I would end this on the 12th chapter so quickly? -_-)


	13. Darryl Noveschoch (Part 6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I left you with that cliff hanger, but I saw the perfect opportunity and took it ^-^
> 
> And we're here! The last chapter in Darryl's arc. But don't worry, there will be lots more content to come. (updates will slow down to one chapter a day once I'm out of vacation btw) 
> 
> *insert daily shameless plug*
> 
> Oh also, only one chapter today, sorry ;-;(I don't think I can summon the motivation to write another chapter)

**December 13th, Tuesday, 2:09 PM**

But that blade never came.

As George squeezed his eyes shut, the loud sound of glass breaking echoed through the place. The weight that had been earlier keeping him on the ground lifted, the sound of tumbling following eagerly.

The brunet trembled as he managed to open his eyes, grinning at the scene before him.

Dream was kneeling over the other blonde, his knee digging painfully into the girl's breast bone. His rapier had found itself in the wood on the ground, mere inches away from the girl's face. The other male struggled to keep the girl down before he glanced over to George.

"Damn...looks like someone needed their prince charming for rescuing" Dream managed to say. The brunet could hear the blonde's grin radiating from his words.

"Whatever. We'll talk about this later. You keep her distracted" George rolled his eyes before fetching his naginata again, trying to ignore the pain that enveloped his left shoulder.

Rushing out of the room, he started to explore the large house. Everything looked untouched for years. After wandering around aimlessly, his hope was starting to die out.

Just as he was about to give up his search though, a thought crossed his mind.

Walking around the house, he started to tap his foot on the floorboards. On maybe his 11th try, a large hollow sound followed after he knocked on one of the floorboards. 

Crouching down on the floor, the brunet gave a devious smile before tearing up one of the fragile floor's boards. It took some effort, but after a while, a deep staircase was revealed partially.

_Jackpot._

Wedging his naginata into the gap, he started to pry the floorboard out. A large crack echoed through the house, the board breaking away finally. George sighed in relief before crawling down into the darkness. Slowly, he started to stumble through the darkness, using his naginata as a guide stick of some sort.

Finally, his eyes caught a glimpse of dim light. Staggering forward, he was met with open space and an eery feeling.

It was a large basement, old crates and spider webs scattered everywhere. What caught George's eyes though was in the middle of the room.

A small wooden chair stood in the middle of the room, a weak lightbulb hanging over it ominously. Strangely, the only source of light in the room was the light bulb.

When looking closer, George froze. His eyes starting to adjust to the darkness. Remnants of cut rope hung uselessly around the chair, bloodstains everywhere on the chair in the most unusual spots.

The boy sighed sadly before looking around, it took almost no time before he found what he was looking for.

Darryl.

George quickly ran over to his friend in a panic. The boy was currently unconscious. It was somewhat pitiful at what his state was, Darryl looked so small...and frail.

Just as he was reaching a hand out for the boy, a large inky black hoof appeared in the corner of his eye. 

As his eyes widened, his instincts took control, the boy quickly rolling to the side to dodge the sudden attack of the Horse Terror. In the place that George used to be was a huge indentation in the ground, the inky black horse's hove kicking out into the air dangerously.

As the brunet returned back to his senses, he carefully looked into the Terror's void-like eyes.

The second their eyes met, George felt a sharp pang in his heart.

"Steady now...I'm not a threat" the boy murmured, trying to stay low to the ground as he carefully crept towards the horse. His hands were outstretched for the Terror's snout.

_Everybody has a Terror. Terrors are the personification of fear._

_Humans wouldn't be the same without fear. Fear was the thing that protected us from dangers._

_If you have too much fear though, you can't enjoy anything in life since you view everything as 'dangerous'._

_Terrors made us human. And were also our downfall._

As the thoughts filled up George's head, the brunet sadly shook his head. Extending his hands out, he softly placed a hand on the Terror's snout. The horse seemed to lean into his touch, but the brunet discarded the thought. The texture of the Terror felt weird...almost like the creature was made out of sand.

As soon as he made contact with the creature though, he felt like he was under a waterfall of emotions and...fear. It was sickening what this boy had been through.

George gave the Terror a reassuring smile. It was a genuine one, broken and fragile from realization.

"Hey. It's gonna be okay Darryl. We're...gonna be okay" George said under his breath, the Horse Terror's white eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

"You're safe. I promise."

The Terror warily stepped back, the horse letting out a soft cry before shaking out its mane. It didn't shrink or well...disappear. Darryl's fear was still there and very real. But...

At least the other boy knew his nightmare was over.

Darryl shifted in his unconscious state, shivering as he curled into himself. George paused before remembering the fight upstairs. The boy sighed before dialing 911 and filling the phone person in on what was happening. (of course leaving the magical boy details out, duh)

Hanging up quickly, he cast a glance over to his unconscious friend. As he started debating on what to do, he shrugged, the brunet carefully picking the other up. George had somehow managed to carry the other on his back in a firm position before heading back up the stairs.

**December 13th, Tuesday, 2:24 PM**

"Préparez-vous à être démoli!" Clay cried out as he pointed his rapier at the girl, both of them heavily breathing from exhaustion.

"What the hell is with you and yelling out french suddenly!" The girl hissed as she deeply frowned.

The blonde shrugged. "I'm putting to use all the useless french classes I took. Besides, I look cool while doing it" Clay replied in a childish manner.

The girl let out another scream before lunging for the male again, claws outstretched. The boy easily evaded the attack simply by side-stepping. Her attack pattern was painfully predictable, causing Clay to silently wonder how George had lost to her.

This whole situation felt like the "bonus" unneeded step to curb-stomping a child.

Humming softly in thought, Clay frowned behind his mask before stabbing his rapier through the girl's body. 

Letting out a disgusting scream, the girl staggered before sinking to the ground. The girl shrank back to her normal size, her Terror parts disappearing for good.

She wasn't necessarily dead, but the Terror part of her had acted like a second life. So when Clay had 'dispelled' the Terror, or well, killed the girl, the Terror part of her protected her and died in her spot instead.

How disappointing.

Clay paused, watching the fainted fox who had been out of commission for most of the fight disperse into green butterflies. Floris would be back. But the fox needed to rest and recover for now.

As the soft sound of footsteps followed, George walked into the room, carrying Darryl on his back. With a grunt of effort, the boy crouched down, slipping his friend off him. Laying Darryl onto the ground carefully, the brunet staggered for a moment. Clay immediately rushed to the other's side, catching George just in time.

Feeling the slight tug on his heartstrings, Clay silently shook his head before he felt the boy in his arms lightly shift. George muttered something under his breath before looking up at the other carefully.

_Fucking hell he still looks hot._

Even in his current state, the brunet still managed to look ethereal in Clay's eyes. George's gaze seemed a bit hazy as he blinked at the other in his daze.

"Idiot" Clay muttered softly as he gently booped the other's nose. The blond's eyes darted between the crimson red spreading on the brunet's shoulder and George's deep brown eyes.

"Says you...idiot" George shot back, his words gently slurred.

_Love is being idiots together._

Clay blinked before shaking his hurriedly, what the hell was he thinking?

As George seem to stare up at Clay hazily, the blonde sighed as he gently removed the brunet's safety glasses. The brunet instantly reverted back to his school attire. Slipping the clout goggles into the other's pocket, Clay smiled gently to the other.

"Hang on alright? The authorities should be here soon" 

George continued to stare at the other for a moment before smiling softly. "You know you look actually pretty hot close up"

Before Clay could question the other though, George had fainted from blood-loss.


	14. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weird shit happens.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the fic! (I hope you have been if you made it this far ;-;)
> 
> Leave a kudos or comment while you're still here, I know I keep on bugging you guys to do it, but It's insanely helpful and keeps me set for motivation when I see comments. And plus, it's FREEEEEEE

**??? ??, ???, ??? ??**

_George didn't know where he was._

_The brunet wandered the streets. And it seemed to be...snowing? He didn't know that it snowed here._

_Nobody seemed to be around, strangely enough. No cars...pedestrians...he was alone._

_George inwardly sighed before hearing the soft sound of sobbing nearby. The boy froze before immediately walking over to the noise in hope of finding somebody._

_The sight that greeted him though was different, to say the least._

**_"Why...why did it have to end this way?"_ **

_The brunet watched from afar, confused to the core as he watched the scene unfold. Dream was in the middle of the street, cradling the head of what looked like to be himself in magical boy form._

_His counterpart's chest seemed to be bleeding/oozing a weird black liquid similar to ink._

_Dream's mask was placed a little bit higher on his face so that it was still hiding his nose and eyes. But his mouth was fully visible._

_The blond continued to shake silently as tears snaked down his face. Dream called out softly to him in a pitying manner._

_Just as he was about to say something though, he was yanked out of the illusion._

**December 14th, Wednesday, 6:05 AM**

George shuddered as he slowly opened his eyes. Bright lights greeted him as he shrunk away a bit, flinching.

Rubbing his eyes roughly, his eyes adjusted to the view. The brunet seemed to be currently in a hospital cot. His shoulder was bandaged up nicely, and he felt a little less sore from earlier.

Blinking lightly, he paused for a moment. George lightly reached out his hand before shaking his head softly, smiling silently.

A familiar blond seemed to be asleep next to his cot. Clay was resting his head on the cot as he softly snored, causing George to silently giggle.

_Cute._

The brunet froze at the thought before biting his lower lip. 

"He's been here since you've been in the hospital. Apparently, the man was there when you got assaulted by Amila" George quickly looked over to the familiar voice. Nick stood by the doorway, leaning against the doorway as he played on his Nintendo switch.

"Really?" George murmured as he turned his gaze to Clay.

He hoped that the other hadn't seen him in magical boy form.

The brunet stared at the other, his desires screaming at him to touch Clay, while his logical side just screamed in general.

"Yep. Didn't want to leave your side Gogy" Nick said without looking up.

_Ah._

George silently snorted before leaning into the pillow that supported his back. "How is Darryl?"

"Still unconscious. His current state is pitiful if I'm being completely honest with you"

The boy silently nodded, not wanting to ask anything else. A silence eventually settled on the two, suffocating and uncomfortable. 

At the chance of silence again, George explored the thoughts of the dream he had just had while it was still fresh in his mind. 

_What had that been?_

His skins crawled at the thought of what it was as he softly shook his head. Must've just been a type of nightmare...a weird one at that. 

Yeah, it was probably nothing. Just his overzealous imagination.

George softly smiled at the reasurring thought of the idea. Suddenly though, the brunet started to shake. A fit of coughs took over him, violent and unending. At the noise, Nick scrambled to George's side.

Clay started to wake up in a groggy manner, casting a look over the room in a confused sense. His eyes were somewhat glazed over.

George's coughing fit suddenly ceased, the boy tearing a hand from his own mouth. There was a black liquid in his hand. Similar to ink.

The brunet's eyes widened before he hid his hand away.

"Dude, are you okay?" Nick said warily, causing George to look up to his friend with a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah. I'm okay"

**December 15th, Friday, 3:58 PM**

George took a deep breath as he swiped mindlessly through his phone.

He had been discharged from the hospital quickly, as his injury was nothing too worrying. It only needed time.

The brunet inwardly sighed as he pocketed his phone, looking up as he realized he had found himself at the entrance of the hospital.

To be completely transparent, he was hoping to stay in the hospital a bit longer to avoid school. But he supposed it was fine.

Walking into the pristine building, he spoke to the receptionist, asking for Darryl's room number. Even though he already knew it from earlier visits, it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, he needed to check into the desk anyway.

As he walked through the bustling hallways, he slipped into the familiar hospital room. 

The room was small, but not suffocating. It was sleek and pristine but besides the gifts that friends and family had left behind for Darryl, it was like the rest of the rooms.

George silently sat down as he realized his friend was currently asleep. Slipping off his backpack, he softly placed it near the cot before taking out his phone.

He didn't know how much time passed after that, but it had to be at least an hour before the brunet had heard the sound of movement. Looking up from his phone, George smiled at Darryl.

The other boy looked exhausted, his eyes half-closed as he murmured in a sleepy manner. "You visited?"

"Yeah, thought you could use the company..." George gave the other a comforting smile as he sifted through his backpack for a moment.

"I got you something. Don't know if you like these...but hey, it's a gift" George lightly grunted before fishing out a caramel apple. 

Placing the treat on the drawer next to the boy's bedside, George straightened his posture a bit. "So how are you?"

"Well..." Darryl paused, gesturing to himself as he lightly winced. "I've obviously had better days. But other than that...drained"

George nodded as he silently sighed.

"You'll be good in time..." George said as he trailed off for a moment, black fog starting to swirl around his friend. Eventually, it moved to the other side of the cot before taking the form of the inky black stallion. The Terror gazed at George indifferently before nodding reluctantly. George flashed a smile before looking back at Darryl, who was staring at him.

"You...you see him as well?" Darryl tilted his head as George's eyes widened. The boy glanced over at the Terror. "He's been here since I've woken up. Strange right? Do you know anything about him?"

**??? ??, ???, ?? ??**

_67 117 116 32 116 104 101 32 119 105 110 103 115 32 111 102 32 116 104 101 32 98 114 111 107 101 110 46 10 66 114 101 97 107 32 116 104 101 32 115 111 117 108 115 32 111 102 32 116 104 101 32 119 97 114 121 46 10 76 101 97 118 101 32 121 111 117 114 32 115 101 110 115 101 32 111 102 32 106 117 115 116 105 99 101 46 10 10 84 104 101 114 101 32 105 115 32 97 108 119 97 121 115 32 97 110 111 116 104 101 114 32 115 116 111 114 121 46 10 65 110 111 116 104 101 114 32 101 110 101 109 121 32 102 111 114 32 101 118 101 114 121 32 102 114 105 101 110 100 46 10 65 32 116 101 97 114 32 102 111 114 32 101 118 101 114 121 32 115 109 105 108 101 46 10_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight, I'm gonna give you guys three choices.
> 
> I give you a significant plot twist that none of you would know of, that would come into effect at the later story, and probably give you a lot more content. Will lead you to the "Corrupted Hero Ending"
> 
> I give you a minor plot twist that takes on the concept of Terrors a bit differently and will affect the later story as well, tying up/finishing up the story nicely. Will lead you to the "Relinquished Ending" (the original ending)
> 
> Or I combine the two and it changes into a high-fantasy adventure filled with major character death, so much angst, and a shit ton of content. GET YOUR HELMETS ON THOUGH, CAUSE IN THIS ONE TRUST NOBODY- Will lead you to the "George & Dream Ending". (Or DNF ending)
> 
> Comment what you want, cause I'm having trouble choosing ^-^


	15. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Badboynoob has the truth revealed to him.
> 
> Leave a kudos and comment while you- ...actually, you know what I'm gonna say.

**December 15th, Friday, 4:05 PM**

Taking a moment to process Darryl's words, George could only stare.

"...What do you mean 'him'?" 

Darryl scrunched up his nose as he paused. "Well, I just assumed that's what their gender was since they had a masculine voice...and they didn't reject it per se"

"You talk about him like he's a person" George murmured as he stared at the large horse Terror.

"Is he not? He talks to me like one, and...somewhat acts like one. Even though he's a horse" Darryl had a cheerful expression on as he shot a smile over to the Terror.

George inwardly sighed.

"So you want to know what 'he' is?"

At George's words, Darryl nodded his head vigorously.

"To put it simply, he's your fears" George slowly took out his clout goggles from his pocket as he recited what Fundy and Dream had told him.

Darryl tilted his head. "But I don't fear horses?"

"Not in that way. What I meant is that he's the personification of your fears." George said with a sigh. Darryl didn't look any less confused but nodded anyway."Everyone has one since everyone has a fear of some type. No matter how heroic or fearless you are."

"We call them Terrors" George looked up suddenly at the new voice that joined.

The brunet's eyes widened to see the small bi-pedal fox in the open window, a smirk evident on their face.

"Fundy!" the boy let out an excited cry, while Darryl stared at the two.

Fundy smiled at George before turning to Darryl. "I'm dreaming. I must be still in the basement" Darryl muttered under his breath as he blinked at the fox weirdly.

"Then I must've injured my shoulder for nothing" George rolled his eyes as he fidgeted with his clout goggles.

"I wish I was joking. But since I basically had to sell my soul to the devil to become a magical boy...I must be in a coma to not wake up from this sick dream." George twirled the pair of glasses around his hand as he sighed. "Trust me...Darryl...this is all real. Whether you like it or not"

The other male bit his lower lip silently before shaking his head slowly. "Okay, so what if this is all real then? Why couldn't the nurse or anybody else see these...'Terrors'?"

George looked over to Fundy silently as he awaited the fox's answer.

"Nobody bothers to believe they are there. Or nobody has the right set of _imagination_ to believe they are. It's a stretch, but it's the only theory that seems plausible. Since the only others that can see Terrors are maybe kids and animals" Fundy pauses, the confusion on Darryl's face growing more and more. "I believe the reason that you've gained the ability to see them is because of your strong belief in your fears. Or Alima" 

Fundy sighed silently. "If that makes any sense"

"Nope," Darryl blinked lightly as George rolled his eyes.

"The only thing you need to know is that you're 'special'. And that your run-in with Alima triggered your ability to see Terrors. And thus, Fundy wants to recruit you for-" Fundy drew his lips back into a snarl just before the brunet could say 'free labor'.

George's eyes widened in confusion before he sighed, deciding begrudgingly to stay silent.

Fundy shot a light smile at the boy. "I'll ask you this question, do you want to use your powers for the good of other's health?"

"You have no choice by the way...he's just saying that to be formal" George chimed in, causing Fundy to scoff.

"Then yeah...I'll use my powers for the good of others," Darryl said, a bit confused, but happy none of the less.

"Good..." Fundy trailed off for a moment before sighing. "I would give you the abilities to be on the front lines but I'm afraid that I don't have enough energy to bestow you them"

Darryl shrugged. "It's fine. I'll just work as the support until then" 

The fox nodded before getting back on all fours as he walked over to George. "Let's get going" Fundy murmured softly as he headed out of the door. George paused as he stood up. Walking to the door, he looked back before waving gently at Darryl.

The boy waved back before the brunet disappeared into the hospital hallway.

As soon as the duo were out of the hospital, George peered down at the fox with a frown. 

"Why did you do that?" 

Fundy paused in his tracks, an unidentifiable emotion flashing in his eyes. "I don't know what you mean"

"You obviously are lying. So why didn't you give him the powers?" George raised an eyebrow as he gripped the strap of his backpack.

Fundy smirked before the mysterious fox continued to walk. "He isn't ready. He needs to face his fears by himself, not with the help of some so-called 'powers'. Darryl only needs a little nudge, not my gifts." Fundy hummed silently. "You know how the saying goes, 'one needs to love themself before they'll be able to love another'"

"Why didn't you give me time as well then? To face my fears"

Fundy kept on walking, not stopping as he responded simply. "You wouldn't be able to face your fears alone"

"What do you mean?" George tilted his head, walking a bit faster to keep up with Fundy.

"With your thought process alone...and how these last cycles have been...I thought you needed the help"

_...Cycles?_

The brunet's feet stayed rooted to the ground as he watched the fox's back carefully.

It occurred to him how much he didn't know about Fundy.

"I...another question Fundy" George picked up the pace again, his eyes not leaving the fox.

"Ngh?"

"What was that thing...going on with Alima?" 

"Oh. _That_ " Fundy hummed in thought for a moment before his tail twitched. "Since Alima was the main fear of Darryl, she became part Terror" 

"I was expecting a long monologue from you for that question...I won't lie" George huffed. Fundy chuckled as he softly shook his head.

_Yeah. I don't know anything about Fundy...truly._

As the brunet bickered with the fox, the reality slowly sunk into the boy as he continued to talk with Fundy.

_**Where did Fundy come from? And what was his goal?** _


	16. Meet Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a filler episode with some character interactions, oh and some DNF cause why the fuck not.
> 
> YOU KNOW THE DRILL, LEAVE A COMMENT OR KUDOS IF YOU ENJOY THE FIC-
> 
> More characters getting introduced also, pog :D

**December 16th, Saturday, 2:21 PM**

"Another meetup?" George raised an eyebrow as he looked over to Nick.

George and Nick were currently doing nothing as they lazed around the boy's apartment. It was a ritual to have hours of silence between the two as they, "hanged out".

"Mhm, Phil said the freshman would be there to"

George snorted as he leaned back down on the couch. "Count me out then. I rather gouge out my eyes than be around them"

"I'm sure they would say the same..." Nick trailed off before he brightened up suddenly. "Clay is gonna be there"

"So?" The brunet murmured as he continued to fidget with his headphones, staring up at the ceiling indifferently.

Nick groaned as he slumped into the floor. "Lookie here Gogy, you're coming to the meet up whether you like it or not"

"And I have no choice?"

"None at all" Nick stood up as he dragged his friend off the couch. "Now come along George, we're gonna twinkify you this time around" 

George head snapped his head up at Nick to glare at his friend. George scrunched up his nose before tearing his arm away from the other male's grip. "The fuck did you just say-"

"Oh come on Gogy, it's just a joke" Nick said as he rolled his head, speaking in a heavy mock British accent.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he was interrupted by Nick yet again. "Just kidding. L-M-F-A-O"

George rolled his eyes as he let his friend drag him away.

"My big sister should take care of you fine." Nick silently snickered. "After all, I do this all for the reactions. More importantly, loverboy's reaction"

"Why the hell do I have to dress up? This is just a freaking meet up dude" George whined as he tried to claw off Nick's hand.

"Yeah...I'll agree. It's just a meetup." Nick paused. "But Clay is going to said meetup!"

George groaned. "For the last time, what does that mean for anything??"

"I'm doing the ultimate move called repaying the poor guy a favor. Besides, we both know that I know, that you know, that **_I_** know you've called him hot" George snorted at his friend's words.

"And?" The brunet blinked as he tilted his head.

Nick rolled his eyes dramatically. "Damn Tsunderes"

**December 16th, Saturday, 2:43 PM**

"Why am I here again?"

Clay sighed as he leaned against the wall of the building, swiping through his phone mindlessly. The group of seniors was currently standing in the front of the arcade, waiting for the others to show up. 

"Cause if you keep sheltering yourself inside all day long, you'll become a nerd" Techno replied simply as Phil helped tied the other's hair in a long pink braid.

"Why out of all the people in the world did you have to be my roommate" Clay grunted as he pocketed his phone.

Techno cast a glance at the other before gently shaking his head. "Because if I weren't, you would be a corpse inside your room."

The blond rolled his eyes before his gaze landed on the group of friends that were walking up to them.

Ranboo (The freshman preferred his nickname over his real name) stood out from the group like a sore thumb with his crazy height, the boy talking silently with Toby Smith with a light smile. Tommy was darting around the group messing around with everyone, like always. Grayson, or Purpled, was watching the rest of the freshmen amused, contributing little to the conversation yet still being a big part of it.

And of course...

Drista.

Dream froze up the moment he spotted his sister.

Or...ex-sister. His mother had gotten custody of Drista while his father had gotten custody of Clay. It was weird...sure, but was fine in Clay's eyes.

As Drista finished laughing at a joke Toby had said, the two siblings' eyes met. Clay simply continued to stare as his sister seem to fume with anger at the sight of him. 

"Oh? Look at what the cat dragged in" Clay murmured.

"And look at what the dog threw up" Drista muttered harshly before turning to Tommy.

"You didn't tell me that _he_ was gonna be here" 

Tommy nervously laughed as he waved his hand in dismissal. "Woah! Woah! Slow down Drista...I didn't know he would actually come"

Drista spat on the ground before sending a quick glare over to Clay. The shorter blonde gave a strained smile before linking her elbow with Tommy as she started to storm off.

"Hey, big man...guys... let's go raid the chipotle instead. My treat" Drista said through gritted teeth. Tommy nodded his head silently, getting the hint.

Ranboo looked over to the seniors, his heterochromia eyes a bit sadder than usual. The boy waved at the others gently before running after his group.

"You okay Clay?" Techno chimed in, causing Clay to tear his gaze away.

"Yeah...it's all in the past"

Techno nodded before looking around. "Do you know when Wilbur, Niki, Nick, and George are gonna arrive?"

"Wilbur said he and Niki are gonna be late from traffic...and for the other two..." Phil murmured before he paused, almost like he was waiting for something.

Clay raised an eyebrow before he felt somebody tackle his side. Looking down quickly, he grinned as he saw the Caucasian male. 

"You took your damn sweet time!" Clay laughed as he ruffled his friend's hair, Nick escaping the other with a scoff.

Nick leaned into the other's ear. "Don't blame me. I managed to get George in something else that wasn't his school uniform or an oversized sweatshirt." The shorter male snickered as Clay scoffed. "So think of this as me repaying that favor, loverboy"

"I also managed him to get out of my place as well to come here, so I think I repaid you in _double_ " 

The blond rolled his eyes before a person came barreling by, slapping Nick in the head.

"What the hell dude! The bandaids were overkill!"

"Do it for the aesthetic Gogy!"

Clay mentally and physically froze in his tracks as a light pink dusted his cheeks.

George was definitely aesthetic as hell...but the blond was truly enamored by the brunet's new look.

The other male was wearing his usual blue t-shirt with its "404" text, but over it, he wore a pair of simple white overalls. The article of clothing ended way above the boy's knees, making the overalls double as shorts. He had mismatched pastel pink and blue thigh-high socks that were paired with checkered vans. He also wore his blue headphones hanging around his neck. There was also a small cute pastel bandage that went over the bridge of his nose.

Clay felt like his insides were _melting_ with how much his face burned.

He felt himself stare a little too long, but how he could stop himself? The brunet was mentally killing the blond.

The boy felt his eyes continued to wander before settling on the other's hips. He felt himself wonder-

_OK BACK IT UP WE DON'T GO THAT FAR_

Clay awkwardly coughed as he felt George's burning gaze boring into him. "You...look good"

In the corner of his eyes, he noticed the brunet smirk before turning to the others. "Well, whatever...let's get this show on the road"


	17. Meet Up (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DNF-centric because I need to vent since I STILL can't visit my girlfriend. (also please don't mind the times, I mess up AM and PM so much ;-; I'll go around fixing it later) 
> 
> Also last chapter before next arc, pog!
> 
> Leave a kudos and comment to support the story if you like it, IT'S COMPLETELY FREEEEE, AND HELPS SOOO MUCH

**December 16th, Saturday, 3:00 PM**

George wavered a bit under the blond's intense stare, but he tried to shake the thought off.

"You guys want to split off from here? We don't really need to all stick together..." Phil offered silently as he gestured around to the arcade.

"Sounds fine with me," Will said as he pocketed his phone. Niki nodding along with him.

Just as George was about to turn to Nick, his eyes widened for a short moment to notice his friend was _gone_.

The brunet tilted his head. "Wasn't Nick right there a second ago?"

"Probably is already exploring" Phil shrugged before Techno dragged the other away. 

Will and Niki left quickly, probably leaving for the claw machine. George inwardly sighed.

And thus that left Clay and George together again.

The brunet silently smiled before turning to Clay and tugging on the other's sweatshirt sleeve. "Hey...that leaves us two then. Wanna stick together for the hell of it?"

George paused though as he noticed a flash of a grim expression on Clay's face. The blond seemed to be looking around the place a bit nervously, almost like he wanted to climb out of his skin.

_He looks...tired._

"Hey, dude, you okay?" George poked the blond's side, causing the other to flinch.

"Y-yeah...just some...stuff" Clay muttered awkwardly as the brunet sighed.

The shorter male grabbed the other's wrist causing the blond to stare at George. "We can go get smoothies instead...if you want"

Clay just gave a meek nod. The brunet, unsure what to do, moved his grip so he was holding the other's hand as he walked with the other out of the building.

He was never the best at comforting others...so he hoped this time it would work with his friend.

"Oh also..." George paused, slipping his hand out of Clay's hand to sift through his front pocket.

The two by now were walking down the sidewalks of the city. It was way more empty than normal...strangely, but it didn't matter. The fewer people the better. Though George had gotten used to the noise of the city, it was nice to have some silence once in a while.

Fishing out a small green apple jolly rancher from his pocket, he grinned. "Hey, catch" George lightly chuckled as he threw the other the candy.

Clay reacted quickly, catching the candy easily from his height mostly. The blond raised an eyebrow at the brunet.

"Think of it as a treat for keeping me company at the hospital"

At George's words, the other male grinned as well as he slowly unwrapped the candy. "What do you mean 'treat'? Are you trying to teach a dog a trick or something?"

The brunet spluttered for a moment, the boy catching a glimpse of the triumphant look Clay gave him.

"You know that's not what it meant idiot" George muttered, his cheeks dusted barely with pink.

Clay lightly bumped the brunet's side as he wheezed, sounding like a tea kettle almost. 

"Relax for once and take a joke, George. You're always so cold and serious when you're around" Clay smiled as George hummed in thought.

"Whatever. Let's go get our smoothies and find a place to sit" The brunet rolled his eyes.

**December 16th, Saturday, 3:52 PM**

Clay felt unsure what he was supposed to feel right now.

Was he supposed to be happy to spend time with George? Sad that they ditched the others? 

The blond inwardly sighed as he silently watched the boy beside him shake with laughter lightly.

_Whatever. Just live in the moment, you dunce._

The two males were currently bickering. They had already finished their smoothies and were just taking a moment to rest their legs as they sat together on a bench.

Clay silently watched George out of the corner of his eye silently.

He could only wish that the brunet would show this side of himself more. Carefree...and well...happy. When George was around anyone, he always seemed one word away from snapping at someone. With his sassy remarks, usually stoic face, and cold exterior.

_But either way..._

Clay silently smiled as he pulled up a knee to his chest.

_He still loved every little thing about the brunet._

"Want to head back?" 

Clay silently nodded as the duo started to walk down the sidewalk in their own comfortable silence. 

As a few minutes passed, George audibly sighed. "Do you think Darryl will be fine?"

"Yeah...he really just needs time. Maybe we'll help him on the way...but he needs his time to recover" Clay paused. "He's been through a lot after all"

George softly nodded.

"Is there any news about what happened to Alima?" George said, nervously fidgeting with his phone.

"Not any yet...after her disappearance they've been having trouble trying to find her." Clay shrugged.

As the blond took a moment to think, he lightly exhaled. "Who knows what's happened to her...honestly. For all, I could care though she could be dead in some sewers"

"Harsh...but reasonable"

Suddenly though, a scream rang out from out of the blue. As the two boys shared a look, they both hurriedly ran over to the noise.

Clay managed to get ahead of George from his height, but they still made it to the scene as they pushed through the chaos.

A woman who must've been in her early 40's was screaming bloody murder as she pointed at something in a nearby alleyway. She was full-on trembling as her eyes were wider than an owl's as she stumbled over her words.

The blond's eyes widened as a sudden smell lingered in the air. It was sharp and stung his senses, it was also very metallic.

As Clay got closer to the alleyway, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

_**=======TW: Blood and Gore=======** _

Crimson red ran everywhere down the alleyway, the metallic stench of blood hanging in the air threateningly. 

In the middle of all the mess though, was a body of a girl. She couldn't have been at least eight years old.

The girl's hair was torn out in most places, chunks of the hair scattered around the alleyway. Blood streamed down from her empty eye sockets. Nearby the body was her jaw, probably torn off in a gory and bloody fashion.

A clean line ran down from her breast bone to just above her hip bones, leaving her inner organs and intestines to be fully exposed, some even slipping out of the wound.

Long gashes and bite marks ran all over her arms and legs, all wounds looking relatively new.

_**=======Blood and Gore Scene Over=======** _

His sense overwhelmed, Clay stumbled back as his words got stuck in his throat. This murder was definitely new, and moreover, the blond could recognize the girl.

When he realized the identity of the person, the boy felt sick to his stomach as he sunk to his knees.

_It was the kid from Applepin Park. 404's first Target._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rip girl whose name I never mentioned.


	18. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEE WOO, SKEPPY'S ARC POG. Skephalo focused with a bit of dnf on the side for this arc. (I know we aren't supposed to have favorite children, but this arc is my favorite child) 
> 
> Also, 1000 hits POGGERS :DD
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here. They mean so much to me and help so fucking much.

**December 18th, Monday, 6:39 PM**

Darryl hummed softly as he sat behind the counter of his shop. Swiping through his phone, he held a soft smile on his face.

He had just been discharged from the hospital and was happy that he could finally be back in his cafe.

The boy swung his feet back and forth as he tried to keep his happy front up. His inner turmoils continued to boil as Darryl kept them bottled up, afraid of saying anything.

_Relax. She's isn't here...focus on what George has said to you._

Darryl smiled sadly as he bit his lower lip silently. It was almost like the whole scenario had become a part of the boy. Something that was there where ever he went...and he absolutely _despised_ it.

Suddenly though, the soft ring of the bell of the cafe's door being opened sounded. Darryl flinched as he snapped his head up, relaxing though when he realized it wasn't Alima.

"Ah! Hello. How can I help you?" Darryl said with an awkward smile. The stranger audibly sighed before taking off his baseball cap, revealing the rest of his face.

The boy internally paused as he felt recognition fill him, yet he couldn't put a finger on it.

The stranger was probably the same height as Darryl. He had a dark caramel skin tone, and sported fluffy and messy black hair. The other boy had dark brown eyes, a blue face mask with a derpy face on it hiding his lower face. He wore a large blue sweater with a pair of loose ripped jeans. Along with that, he had a simple pair of vans.

"Oh uh- yeah. I guess I'll have a cookie." They murmured nervously. As Darryl went to get it, he paused as the stranger started talking again. "Sorry...I just need to hide a bit from... _them"_

The boy stopped in his tracks as he turned to the stranger, raising an eyebrow. " _Them_?"

"No, no, no...not like that- I just...overzealous fans..." The stranger said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

A lightbulb seemed to light over Darryl's head as his eyes widened, connecting two and two. "Wait... you're..."

The other boy nodded before pulling down his face mask, causing Darryl to instantly recognize him.

"Skeppy!"

Darryl held a startled expression as a woman stormed through the door. She was quite pretty by Darryl's standards.

"What the hell are you doing here?? We're gonna be late for your appointment" The woman cried out.

The boy shrugged as he slipped on his face mask again, hurriedly putting on his cap as well. "Calm down Finn, it's fineeee" 

"No, it's not fine! And It's ROSE when we're in public Skep!" The woman groaned silently as she took out face powder from her purse, staring into the mirror as she murmured to herself. "Shit did I ruin my makeup while running here?" 

She sighed as she returned the object back to her purse before glaring at Skeppy. 

"C'mon, let's get going idiot" The woman snapped as she dragged the singer out of the door. The woman paused, looking over at Darryl as she smiled.

"Sorry for troubling you!" 

As the duo disappeared, leaving a confused Darryl behind, the boy sighed inwardly.

_Weird._

**December 19th, Tuesday, 4:06 AM**

Nick couldn't sleep.

There was something off. He could feel it.

Something was nagging him to get up out of bed, like a gut feeling of some sort. 

Nick silently sighed as he threw his covers over, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. The male paused, looking at his bedroom door. Through the slightly open crack, a sliver of light from the hallway escaped into his room.

The boy raised an eyebrow before slipping out of bed, groggily opening his door. As he stepped into his hallway, he paused.

The light was coming from the bathroom. As he slowly got close to the bathroom, he...he could hear it.

_Coughing._

Similar to the violent coughing spree George had that one day in the hospital. The sound was pitiful and unnerving. At the noise, Nick felt wide awake as he carefully made his way to the door.

Opening the door silently as to not alert whoever was in there, Nick's eyes widened at the sight.

**======TW: Blood :3======**

George was leaning over the marble sink, his finger in his throat as he coughed violently like he was trying to throw up.

As his body convulsed, the brunet let out one last cough before throwing up. But instead of the expected throw-up, Nick rushed into the bathroom as he saw his friend throw up a mouth full of blood

Nick rushed to George's side as his friend continued to cough profusely, his sides shaking as he slowly slumped to the bathroom floor.

Spots of crimson spotted George's clothes and hands, telling Nick this had been happening for a good while now.

"Dude! Are you okay?" Nick's words had worry laced in it as George covered his mouth, almost like he hadn't noticed Nick was there.

The brunet shook again with one last cough, tears streaming down his face. The Caucasian male was unsure if it was from the violent coughing, or from something else.

"I-I..." George continued to tremble as he wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

The brunet hugged himself as he continued to shake. 

"Hold on George, I'll go call-" Nick said as he started to stand up. But before he could do anything, he felt his sleeve get grabbed onto.

Nick looked surprised as he looked back. George looked desperate as his hand shook. "Please...d-don't. Don't tell a-anybody. Please" The brunet croaked as he continued to shake.

"You need help George"

"I'm fine N-nick...it pasts. It always does" George said in a small voice.

Nick stared at his friend sympathetically. He had never seen his friend so broken since....Kaleb's death. The male sighed as he wrapped his friend in a loose hug.

"Fine. But is there anything I can do?" Nick murmured as George sobbed silently.

At first, Nick was met with silence before George silently inhaled a smooth clear breath.

"No. There is nothing you can do" The brunet suddenly said, his voice as clear as day. But the most notable thing was how _cold_ his voice sounded.

Nick's eyes widened as George stopped shaking, the brunet slipping out of his friend's arm.

The brunet stopped at the doorway as he looked back at Nick, leaning against the doorframe. "Sorry. Nothing happened tonight. Alright? I'm gonna go get a glass of water"

As George walked away, the image was permanently carved into Nick's mind.

_George's eyes looked so...tired._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I accidently posted one of my WIP works and while freaking out deleted it so-
> 
> INFINITE PAIN
> 
> Though I had to rewrite the whole freaking thing and re-tag it and stoof, the story is finally posted...POG. So if you want to go check it out, it's called "You're My Problem", it's freaking Enemies to Lovers DNF Royalty AU because fuck being original-


	19. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheh, I know I'm killing most of you with all these weird things happening lately, but most if not all of it can be explained by stuff Fundy has said. But the whole little girl death thing? Yeah, that's a whole different plot point.
> 
> (also poggers to you if you have any theories or can guess on what the fuck is happening ^-^)
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're here :3

**December 20th, Wednesday, 3:24 PM**

"You look like a car ran you over"

George rolled his eyes at Darryl's words, leaning back in the chair as he took a long sip from his smoothie. The two friends were simply enjoying each other's company at Darryl's cafe, both happy with only sharing a few words.

"No shit sherlock" The brunet muttered as he placed his smoothie down on the table, rubbing his temples.

"Language!" Darryl shot back quickly as he came around the counter, placing down a tray of freshly baked muffins.

As soon as he set down the tray, Darryl shot right back into talking. It was endless, but the brunet was happy his friend was feeling better. George slipped back on his blue headphones, soft music filling his ears. The brunet watched Darryl unwrap a muffin with his half-lidded eyes, the boy disinterested in the world.

He was honestly surprised Nick didn't say anything about his _incident_. Especially how the brunet was coughing up such weird inky liquid. 

But it was fine.

George was perfectly fine with not talking about it at all. 

"-And can you believe it! He keeps appearing around here and _bugging_ me. I never knew Skeppy was such an annoying muffin!" Darryl's voice once again cut in as George took off his headphones. The brunet's head snapped up as he raised an eyebrow.

George hummed in thought for a moment. "Skeppy?"

"Yeah! You know him! Everyone does...I mean I love his music but he's a bit annoying." Darryl said, trailing off a bit. "Like a duck!"

As Darryl kept talking, George seemed to dissociate from the world. 

_Hadn't Dream said something about Terrors being around a singer's concert? Maybe Skeppy is the one who he was talking about._

The brunet bit his bottom lip as he internally sighed, Darryl still talking.

**December 21st, Thursday, 12:22 PM**

"You owe me, idiots. I managed to threaten the right people" Techno said as he slammed a ticket on the table to a Skeppy concert. At the pink-haired male's words, Phil rolled his eyes as he continued to pick at his food.

The whole group was currently sitting at their lunch table for a break when Techno interrupted the group conversation.

Clay raised an eyebrow. "But that's only one-"

Techno grinned at the blonde's words before spreading out his fingers on the table, causing nine individual tickets to fan-out from underneath. Clay raised his hands in defeat as he scoffed.

"Alright, you got me there"

"How did you get so many? And can I bring Niki?" Wilbur asked as he stared at the colorful tickets.

"Buy one for Niki, she might think of it as a romantic gesture or you just being a good dude," Techno said as he rolled his eyes. "And a man has his ways"

Darryl blinked lightly, his eyes were somewhat mystified. "So we're really going then?" 

"No, I just happened to show off these tickets and are actually gonna give them to the squirrels in the schoolyard" Techno muttered.

"Oh...well then I hope they enjoy the event then," Darryl said, wilting a bit. George sighed as he placed a hand on Bad's shoulder.

"He was joking Darryl" 

The boy looked at the brunet confused before his lips turned into a thin line.

Phil sighed as he twirled his fork around his fingers. "I probably won't be able to make it there. The newspaper club has a meeting, and the other student council members want me to go and watch. Since...they haven't been meeting quota"

"Just send some other nerd to deal with them," Techno said with a shrug.

"Well the reason I have to go is that you were supposed to, but somehow stalled it for four months" Phil sighed.

Techno huffed but sat back down without another word.

"So other than that, everyone is free to go right?" George suddenly asked. The rest of the table murmured their agreements.

Clay paused though, noticing from the corner of his eye how George intentionally stared at Darryl.

"Then it's settled. On the 31st all- I mean...most of us will go" Techno grinned.

**December 21st, Thursday, 1:49 PM**

Finn sighed as he reapplied his blush, closing his small makeup bag and returning it back to his purse.

"Still nothing Skeppy?"

The boy grunted as he tapped the tip of the pen on the top of the table, a look of frustration obvious on his face. The two were currently on break and were simply chilling in the large lounge of the studio.

"I might not make it to the deadline," Skeppy said with a small sigh. 

"Don't sweat it, hun. Mr. Basilisk wouldn't do anything harsh...I think" Finn said, trying to sound reassuring but failing miserably.

Zak groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "I've got nothing! Nothingggg. No ideas!" 

Finn reached over, awkwardly patting the boy's shoulder.

"You'll be fine Zak. You still got more than a week to come up with _something"_ Finn said quickly as he nervously fidgeted with the strap of his purse.

"Comforting" The boy scoffed as he started to doodle on the paper. "I only have a week to come up with something for the concert. Very comforting"

"Relax, it'll be fine if you don't think of a new song. The fans already love all your songs and will be fine if you just sing those" 

Zak huffed silently as he tore a hand through his fluffy black hair. "Yeah, they're...somewhat easy to appease. Mr. Basilisk on the other hand is a whole different monster..."

"I-I...just..."

The boy hugged himself as he audibly sighed, resting his forehead on the table.

"Hope he doesn't do anything to drastic?" Finn murmured as he tilted his head.

"No...I just hope he doesn't touch my family"

At Zak's words, Finn sighed, shooting the boy a sympathetic look. "Look, if he goes that far for just a song, he has another thing coming for him. I promise"

The boy simply gave a meek nod, causing Finn to bite his bottom lip. 

"Things are gonna be okay. Alright Skeppy?"

"Yeah...hopefully"

As the duo plummeted back into silence...

A pair of deep emerald eyes stared at them from the shadows. One could barely make out the outline of the figure, and one would know it was anything but humanoid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put random music recommendations in the endnotes now that don't correspond to the chapter at all, but I like to listen to them while writing.
> 
> -She Wants Me (To Be Loved) By The Happy Fits  
> -Fresh by Artist vs Poet


	20. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy (Part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry for all the filler chapters but I needed to drop subtle hints and info. Now finally we're back in the action, and this chapter is very i n t e r e s t i n g.
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here. They help a shit ton and are completely FREE (lmfao I have grown immune to feeling shame)

**??? ??, ???, ?? ??**

_"You should learn the violin so we can duo at my recital!"_

_George stopped sipping his chocolate milk to look up at ████. The brunet tilted his head, staring at the other with half-lidded eyes._

_The two children were currently in their living room, ████ messing about while George simply watched. The brunet was a strange kid, he could sometimes come off as he knew more about you than yourself._

_"Really. Do you think mom and dad would allow that?" George said, his voice laced with indifference. To be honest, the brunet didn't give a single fuck for the idea of ████ being a musical prodigy. He just thought that his parents wanted to make ████ even more 'special'._

_The other perked up at George's words, nodding profusely. "Yeah! And if they don't then I'll convince them! And besides...it'll be great practice for you to learn a musical instrument!" ████ said, a smile evident on their face._

_George hummed in thought as he relaxed back into the soft couch, his usual indifferent expression revealing none of his thoughts._

_The brunet thought it would be a good experience...and maybe if he participated with ████ in his recitals, the brunet would finally be acknowledged._

_"Fine. I'll learn the violin so I can play with you"_

_████ brightened up immediately, standing up from the carpet they were laying on. "Great! Thank you so much!" Bolting over to George, they threw their arms over the brunet in a hug before running off._

_George offered a small smile. ████ was a good person. It was just their parents who were corrupting them._

_But besides that...maybe he could finally stand by ████'s side. As an **equal** this time._

**December 22nd, Friday, 5:23 PM**

"Dude...you alive in there?" 

George snapped out of his trance as he looked up at Nick, who was standing over him.

The brunet had trailed off for a moment while the two were studying. He was starting to do it more often...strangely enough. 

The two males were currently messing around, getting bored of their frequent studying. While Nick had been talking, George seemed to have his head in the clouds as he murmured to himself weirdly.

"Mhn?" George blinked at the other male, unsure what was happening.

"I was talking to you about the concert...but I guess I'm just that insignificant to you when you blatantly ignored me" Nick sighed dramatically, the brunet staring at his friend indifferently.

George scoffed as he stood up, stretching his arms. "You got something right. Congrats idiot" 

"Ouch! How could you do this to me Gogy!" The taller threw his arm over the shorter's shoulder as he slumped into the brunet.

"Get off of me" George grunted as he rolled his eyes, pushing Nick off with some effort.

Nick fell to the ground dramatically as he pouted. "How could you! I thought you loveeddd meee"

"I wouldn't love you even if you were Adam and I was Eve" 

As Nick continued to act hurtful to George's comment, the brunet finally cracking a genuine smile as he watched his friend be an absolute doofus.

**December 22nd, Friday, 8:59 PM**

"And then she called me a dog! Can you believe that?" Skeppy groaned as he banged his head lightly on the table. Darryl stayed silent, unsure what to say to the other.

As the boy finished putting away everything, Darryl simply stared at the pitiful singer. Darryl was going to close up shop, but with Skeppy here he didn't want to...just yet.

To be fair, Darryl really didn't mind Skeppy. Yeah sure he could be really annoying, and sometimes would go a bit too far with his cruel pranks...but the boy didn't mind it. He liked having company on these lonely nights, no matter how annoying the company was.

"Why don't you break up with her? You're obviously not happy with her" 

Skeppy looked up sadly as he fidgeted with his sweater strings. "That's the problem. I can't. As long as Mr. Basilisk is my PM then I can't break off my public relationship with her." Skeppy pauses as he sighs. "Besides, he says it's good for my image"

Darryl stayed silent at the other's words, humming in thought. "You said you were having trouble with a song? Aren't there supposed to be people to help you with that?"

Skeppy stayed silent, giving an awkward smile.

"I usually write the songs by myself" At Skeppy's words, Darryl nodded softly.

"But enough about me...you're that person who got kidnapped by that psychotic lady right? Why did she even kidnap you in the first place?" Skeppy tilted his head innocently as Darryl flinched, the boy biting his lower lip softly.

Darryl sat down on the stool behind the counter, audibly sighing. "Well...you could say I was her boyfriend" Darryl started to say, the other male listening intently. "At first she was so nice...and well...lovely...but after a month things started to go downhill I think. She got more and more...protected of me. She hated me seeing other people in general, whether it was family, friends, or even strangers. Alima was very vocal about it, as well as her opinion on all of my friends..."

The boy trailed off for a moment as he gave a faraway look, playing with the edge of his apron. Noticing his silence, Skeppy softly nodded for the other to go on.

"I started to get affected by her words. And well...started viewing them differently. It was a horrible feeling, and deep inside I knew they were good muffins. But...the doubt just grew stronger and stronger...and the gap between me and them grew wider every day. And well...you know the rest of the story" Darryl said quietly, offering Skeppy a sad smile.

At the other male's silence, Darryl started to speak again. "Oh- ...sorry for going on like that-"

"How are you?" Skeppy suddenly asked, cutting off Darryl.

"What do you mean you muffin head? I'm doing good obviously-" 

"No. How are you feeling?" Skeppy stared at Darryl unwaveringly.

"Really I don't know what you are talking about...I'm doing fine" Darryl stopped though as he looked away. His skin crawled under Skeppy's intense stare.

Darryl sighed, his index finger of his left hand drawing imaginary circles in the palm of his right hand.

"Tired. Scared. Afraid...neglected..." Darryl balled up his fists as stood up, taking a deep breath.

"There. I said it. Is that what you wanted to hear? How broken I am and how I'm always on the edge? How I can't even tell my best friends that I'm hurting? So you can leer about me and say how it's 'Going to be okay' when it obviously isn't??"

Darryl combed his hand through his hair as he sighed, Skeppy was somewhat surprised by his sudden outburst. 

"Sorry...Geppy. I'm gonna close up shop now"

The other male nodded softly, standing up as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. 

Stopping at the cafe's door, Skeppy looked back at Darryl over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow"

As the small bell of the door rang, Darryl could hear the door close silently. The boy sighed as he took off his apron, hanging it up in the back of the cafe. 

When he was putting on his backpack again though, he paused as he saw deep emerald eyes stare at him from the night...beautiful yet unnerving. Unable to tear his eyes away from the window, Darryl paused as the darkness seemed to move...the eyes disappearing. 

"Hey! Wait!" The boy quickly turned off the lights of the cafe before rushing out of the door, locking up the shop as he followed the moving figure down the dark streets of the city.

Darryl looked around confused as he heard the soft music of a harp. Trying to locate the noise, the boy paused before ducking into an alleyway, his heart hammering in his chest.

The boy didn't know why he was chasing what could be a murderer in the dark, but it was a feeling. Nagging him that he should follow it...like something was pulling him towards it.

Slowing down to a halt, Darryl bit his lip as he was met with a dead end. 

_Was it just me then?_

The boy sighed, clutching the strap of his backpack as he started to make his way back down the alleyway.

In the blink of an idea though, a mysterious force knocked the boy down to the cold ground, knocking the wind out of Darryl.

The boy's eyes widened at the sight before him. Standing over him seemed to be a giant animal made of ink and black mist. It had the body, legs, and head of a mane wolf. Its ears were that of fennec foxes, and nine long tails trailed behind it, looking more like large black ribbons than anything.

Strange emerald green eyes pierced Darryl as the boy's eyes widened.

_Terror._

Darryl squeezed his eyes shut as the creature opened its mouth, ink and a strange black liquid seeping out of its large jaws. 

He could feel the cold breath of the creature on his neck, the boy full-on trembling by now. Moments passed, the silence filling Darryl's ears.

Reluctantly, Darryl slowly opened his eyes.

The creature's jaws were wide open, hanging above the boy's neck and meer seconds away from biting it off. The large Terror seemed to have hesitated, an emotion-stirring in its large unblinking eyes.

_Sympathy._

The creature seemed to retreat a bit, still towering over Darryl. Staring at the limp boy for a second, the creature gently lifted Darryl's hand in its jaws before sinking its teeth into his flesh. Warm crimson dripped into its mouth, the boy too paralyzed from fear to do anything.

Gently placing the boy's hand on the ground, the creature walked out of Darryl's sight, the scraping of its claws drawing farther and farther away.

And with that, Darryl was alone.

With only his fear to accompany him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Jekyll and Hyde (by Jonathan Thulin)  
> \- You'll Be Gone (by YonKaGor)


	21. Side Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dnf cause why not.
> 
> Oh and also, this whole Arc is a mix of Skephalo, George plot, and dnf. Thats it.
> 
> *insert shameless plug*

**December 23rd, Saturday, 12:09 PM**

"Seriously dude, how are you still feeling okay?" Nick murmured as he looked at George warily. The boy awkwardly patted the other's back as the brunet threw up into the toilet. "I still don't think this is healthy...and we should get you help" 

George glanced over to his friend before sighing. "I-It's fine...I'm sure it's nothing special"

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than me" Nick rolled his eyes before looking around the bathroom.

The two were hanging out around Nick's apartment when George had suddenly started coughing again. The coughing fits were happening more frequently, causing the brunet to always be on the edge.

"You're lying to yourself more than me. I might be a so-called 'idiot', but even I can tell that coughing up _blood_ isn't healthy"

George paused, wiping a trickle of the inky black liquid from the corner of his mouth. "What do you mean blood?" The brunet murmured as he shot glances between Nick and the black liquid in the toilet.

"You know, that thing that leaks out your body when you get stabbed" Nick muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That red shit that you were throwing up"

"I know what blood is idiot, but what do you mean blood?" George stared at the strange black liquid in the toilet. " _That_ is definitely not blood," the brunet said, gesturing to the liquid he was earlier coughing up.

"Well then what is it then? Ketchup" Nick raised an eyebrow, humoring George.

"What? No! It's not even red..." George muttered as he glanced between the liquid and Nick.

Nick sighed. "Look I know that you're color blind but-"

"What? It's not even the usual weird yellow color I see, it's black!" George muttered, cutting Nick off. "Well...I guess coughing up black liquid is concerning as well-"

"Greattt" Nick said in an exasperated manner. "My friend is coughing up blood from an unknown cause and is also hallucinating!"

The brunet glared at the Caucasian Male before his phone buzzed lightly in his sweater pocket. George slipped his phone out of the pocket, a simple text greeting him.

_≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃_

**Clay :D**

heyo, do you perhaps want to hang out with me? just the two of us  
  
_12:16 AM  
  
_

**Gogy  
  
**you mean a date? -._-.  
  
_12:18 AM_

 _  
_**Clay :D  
  
**sure  
  
im joking tho btw

think of this as friends simply being frrieenddss  
  
cuddle ya homies if you know what i mean  
  
_12:19 AM  
  
_

**Gogy**

fine. as long as you dont kidnapp me

 _12:20 AM  
  
  
_ **Clay :D**

whaat? I would never

_12:20 AM (Seen)_

_≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃≃_

George gave a wisp of a smile as Nick peered over his shoulder.

"And who is my cold stoic friend talking to?" Nick said in a very bad English accent.

The brunet lightly smacked the other in the head before standing up. "I'm not cold or _stoic_ "

"Yeah...whatever lets you sleep at night" Nick rolled his eyes as he smiled. "But I'm still happy to see my best friend smile again"

At Nick's words, George paused before giving a meek nod and exiting the bathroom. Leaving Nick alone.

The Caucasian Male stared at the spot George disappeared, biting his lower lip. "How long has it been now?" Nick murmured to himself as he combed a hand through his raven hair.

"I don't blame him for not getting over it though" The male sighed as he sat down on the rim of the bathtub.

"He disappeared so suddenly"

Nick sunk into his own silence, a single thought rattling around his head.

_Where was the real George did he know? Where did that boy go?_

The male closed his eyes as he silently exhaled.

"I miss George"

The Caucasian male paused though as he received a small buzz from his phone. Checking the text, he smirked before typing something out on his phone.

It was about time Clay and George got somewhere with their relationship. Sure, George would strangle him later...but it would be worth it.

Nick gave a sad smile at his conversation before pocketing his phone again.

**December 23rd, Saturday, 1:32 PM**

Clay raised an eyebrow at the texts from Nick before shaking his head softly. The blond thought the male's request was strange, but to the hell of it.

It seemed more like a set of instructions than Nick giving simple wingman advice, but Clay could care less. He really did want to get to know George more, and this was probably his only option.

The blond was currently waiting outside Covet High's campus, asking George to meet with him there (as planned by Nick).

Taking one last peek at his phone, Clay paused at the sudden tug on his sleeve. Looking down, his emerald green eyes met George's chocolate orbs. His heart gave a small jump causing the blond to internally sigh.

_How could I fall this hard for someone I've only talked to a couple of times?_

Clay offered an awkward smile to the brunet, George rolling his eyes before flashing a small smile. 

The shorter male was wearing casual clothes, but the brunet still made Clay's heart flutter either way.

"So why did you want to meet up in front of our school?" George asked, tilting his head as his doe eyes seem to stare right through Clay.

"O-Oh...well I just left my jacket in the band room and wanted to fetch it..."

George frowned for a split moment before blinking. "Then why did you wait for me to get it?"

"Just think of it as me wanting to spend more time with you," Clay said with a smile. The brunet scoffed at his answer as he softly shook his head.

"Aren't we not allowed to go on campus on off days?" George murmured to himself.

The blond shrugged. "Relax, they allow us on campus for other things. So we can use an excuse and be Scott free" 

George rolled his eyes as he left Clay, walking towards the campus without the blond. Clay smiled silently before catching up with the brunet, still happy to spend time with the shorter.

The two continued to share light banter as they entered the high school, traversing the empty halls. 

Clay enjoyed the brunet's quips and laughs, George's words falling like honey onto the blond's ears. He had almost forgotten the objective Nick had given him.

Keyword, _almost_.

"Ah! Here we are" Clay murmured, stopping in front of the band room just in time. At the male's words, George stopped mid-conversation, staring at the room number above the door wistfully.

The blond paused, looking back at George.

_What?_

The brunet before him looked so different from the regular sassy male who held himself with confidence. George seemed a bit smaller, his eyes a bit glassy as he fully withdrew from the world in a way.

Clay blinked lightly as he watched George carefully, unsure what action he should take.

"Hey uh...are you-"

George immediately snapped out of his trance as he gave a weak smile to the blond. "I'm fine! Let's just...go get your jacket and get out"

Clay raised an eyebrow before silently huffing, not wanting to dig further.

_Was this what Nick wanted me to see? Well, this was...certainly weird._

Walking into the empty band room, Clay flicked on the lights quickly before looking around the room. George trailed behind the blond, casting looks on the instruments that were on the racks. 

Clay scooped up his jacket from a chair before looking over at the brunet.

George was currently staring at a couple of violins, his eyes glazed over somewhat again as he hummed a soft tune.

"Do you play an instrument?" Clay asked softly, interrupting George's thoughts.

"Yeah. Used to" The brunet said, barely in a whisper. Clay tilted his head as he watched the other male walk towards the violins slowly, picking up one of the cases gently. George continued to hum silently as he slipped the instrument out of the case by the neck.

The brunet sighed to himself audibly as he continued to stare at the instrument. "I only enjoyed it since you were there...with me. Where did you go?" The brunet whispered to himself, fueling Clay's growing confusion.

"You want to give it a try?" Clay said. George glanced over to the blond before shrugging.

"Don't know if I still have the touch. It's been a year or two"

Clay slowly nodded before smiling. "Well...it'll still be nice to hear you play it." Clay paused awkwardly. "S-so I can make fun of you at how bad you are at it" The blond supplied quickly, staring at George a bit intensely.

The brunet hummed in thought as he stared at the instrument before moving his gaze to the nearby violin bow. Scooping the bow up, George slowly tightened the violin bow up by gently turning the tension screw.

Walking over to a nearby table, George plucked a rosin cake off the tabletop. Carefully, the male slid the bow hair over the rosin's surface from the bottom to the top of the hair. After he was finished, the brunet glanced over to Clay who was still watching him. 

"It's your fault if I cause your ears to bleed," George said with a scoff as he rested the violin on his shoulder, getting into a comfortable stance as he tucked the violin under his chin. Clay dragged a chair over to the brunet before sitting down, watching George intently. 

The brunet seemed engrossed in his own mind as he tested a few notes, frowning for barely a moment. An unidentifiable emotion flashed in his eyes before he took a deep breath. The boy closed his eyes as if somebody was holding a gun to his head.

"Hey, George. You don't need to play if you don't-" Clay was starting to say, George, shooting the other a look that silenced the blond.

Clay felt his heartache a little seeing the brunet's expression. The boy had a pleading look in his eyes as he smiled meekly.

"No...It's fine. I can do this. If I can't do this by myself...then I don't deserve help. I..." George looked away, Clay feeling his heart barely break. "I need to prove a point"

"Besides, this is just me being stupid. I can do this. It's j-just me...being an absolute idiot" The brunet said to himself softly.

"You know you don't have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable. Really-" Clay said, his concern growing more.

"NO!" George suddenly shouted, causing Clay's eyes to widen. "S-sorry...I just need to do this. I'm fine Clay" George muttered, his tone a bit harsher this time around.

The taller bit his lower lip before nodding, George releasing a silent breath.

"Thank you"

George took another long breath before drawing the bow across the violin's strings.

A soft tune slowly leaped from the instrument, the brunet's gaze focused on his fingering and the strings. The music seemed to induce a melancholy feeling in Clay, the blond humming along with the tune silently.

Clay could tell the brunet missed a few notes here and there, but other than that, the Blond could tell the other loved playing the instrument. George played with expertise and experience as he held a wisp of a smile on his face.

Watching George play the violin, Clay felt his heart continue to flutter. The brunet looked ethereal with his half-lidded eyes, his doe-like eyes showing a soft warmth that made Clay yearn for the other even more.

As soon as the other finished the piece, George looked over at Clay, a new type of thrill in his eyes.

"I-I...did it," George said silently as he grinned.

Clay stared at the brunet as he absent-mindedly replied, "Yeah...good job" The blond murmured, his words laced with a warmth.

The brunet blinked as he stared right back at the blond, silence washing over the room. Clay couldn't tell the emotion in the other's eyes, but he could feel his heart soar when George shot back a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Sorry for not updating the last three days, procrastination and writer's block create a literal monster. I also wanted to take a break so I could wrap up some essays and hw I had to do :3 (Also I know nothing about the violin, SO I'M SORRY IF I GOT ANYTHING WRONG)
> 
> The piece that Gogy played was a violin cover of "Howl's Moving Castle".
> 
> -It's Alright (by Mother Mother)  
> -Sunkissed (by Khai Dreams)


	22. Side Chapter (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> another side chapter but like it has plot so-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is now heading into the third ending (The DNF ending). So just want to warn you, everything that has been said or done, can elude to possible plot twists and give HUGE hints if you think about it for enough time.
> 
> Leave a kudos or a comment while you're still here, p l e a s e (lmfao shameless begging amirite)
> 
> (DUDE I DO NOT KNOW HOW TIME WORKS ANYMORE WTF, I THOUGHT 12:OO PM WAS WHEN SHIT GETS DARK, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY 12:OO AM??? HENGH???)

**December 24th, Sunday, 1:47 AM**

In the dead of night, a bi-pedal fox stood above the city.

Fundy hummed to himself silently. 

The fox was currently standing near the edge of the building, peering down at the city streets. Fundy quite enjoyed the look of the city lights and night.

Fundy froze though as he felt another presence in his vicinity, the fox narrowing his eyes before spinning around quickly.

Fundy's eyes widened in recognization though as he spotted the large Terror towering before him.

Before the fox stood George's wolf Terror. The Terror seemed to have grown a lot since the last time Fundy had seen it. Its void white eyes almost staring through Fundy, the wolf opening its jaws threateningly. Strands of black liquid dripped over the opening of its jaws, giving it an eery look.

"What...are you doing here? How are you here?" The fox murmured as he returned to all fours, backing up slowly.

The wolf of course didn't answer, only snarling at the smaller fox. Taking a step forward, Fundy only grew more nervous.

"Do I perhaps know you? Have we made a deal before in a place or a time?"

As Fundy kept backing up, he shivered as he gripped the edge of the building. A large gust of wind threatening to blow him away as it combed through his fur.

The Terror only drew closer, snapping its jaws a hair length's away from the fox, herding Fundy near the edge like cattle almost.

"Answer me! I know you can talk!" The fox demanded, his nerves getting to him.

_**"You're not in the position to ask questions, Floris"** _

At the wolf's words, Fundy's eyes widened greatly before returning to normal. The fox seemed to shake for a moment as he chuckled, but soon the noise snowballed into crazed laughter. The fox showed no signs of stopping as he laughed uncontrollably.

"Oh...that's who you are" The fox muttered, finally calming down. Fundy seemed to stand with a new air of confidence as he smirked playfully.

"You've come for revenge haven't you?" Fundy said softly, the Terror snarling in a warning. "You're a fool. A child in a position that is too powerful for the likes of you" 

The Terror snapped its jaws again, the fox standing his ground as he returned the creature's harsh gaze. "I gave you everything! I gave you a _purpose._ Yet you turn on me!"

"Go ahead, ████. You can't kill me in a way that matters though" Fundy snapped, the Terror continuing to stare down the fox.

The fox's gaze softened though as he sighed. "Why do you still protect him? After all this time?"

"He's not the same person you knew, yet you still ████ him! Why, do you still ████ him, ████? Why haven't you given up!" The fox yowled, the Terror flinching at Fundy's words.

The wolf Terror let out a howl, the creature shooting forward as it pinned down the fox by the chest with one giant paw. Fundy let out a yip, his limbs dangling in the air, rendering them useless.

"Do it! You can't!" The fox yowled.

The Terror growled, the duo staying like that for a couple more moments. The creature removed its paw, spinning around as it stalked away.

Fundy coughed, finally able to breathe again. Watching the Terror leave the fox gave a triumphant grin.

"After all this time..." Fundy said slowly, causing the creature to stop in its tracks. "After all this time you still can't kill me"

The Terror stayed silent and unmoving. "You're a fool, ████" Fundy hissed.

"What do you think is going to change, what do you think is different this time!?" The fox demanded, his claws digging into the ground.

The Terror stayed silent for a moment before turning to face the fox, its void white eyes piercing him sharply.

 _ **"...This time...I'll be there to help him."**_ The Terror said simply before disappearing, leaving Fundy by himself.

As soon as the creature left, the fox dropped his triumphant expression.

"Well...that'll change a few things I suppose"

**December 24th, Sunday, 3:59 PM**

Nick watched his friend from the kitchen door, unsure if he should make a move or put off the question until the next millennia. 

As George innocently fidgeted with a soda can on the couch, Nick started to slowly rethink his decision. Was Nick just overthinking this? Maybe George was fine. Maybe his friend was just recovering from the shock and there was no "hokey pokey" going on.

_Maybe._

The two friends were currently messing around at Nick's place again. The Caucasian male thought that this would be a good time to... _ask_ George if he was feeling okay.

Nick had wanted to confront the brunet for a long while now, since Kaleb's death to be precise.

The male knew _something_ was wrong with George. But then again...

What wouldn't be wrong? Kaleb had suddenly vanished a few years ago only to reappear recently, and he was _deceased_ at that.

But that was beside the point. 

All you needed to know was that Nick was highly suspicious of George, and was feeling, _heavily,_ the need to confront his friend. 

Watching the brunet, Nick inwardly sighed before walking over to the couch. Reaching over the couch, he pinched his friend's ear.

"Hey- what the hell dude?" George hissed, batting his friend's hand away like a cat.

The male rolled his eyes as he took his hand back. "Just checking if you were alive in there" 

"You didn't have to pinch me jackass"

"Welp, too late now I guess" Nick smirked as he offered a shrug.

George huffed at his friend's antics before turning his attention back to the empty soda can.

"Well? Speak up. You obviously want something" George said softly. Nick bit the inside of his cheek as he lightly shook his head.

The brunet never failed in his ability to see through Nick.

"Just wanted to know if you're okay" 

George snapped his head up, looking up at his friend. "Well yeah, I'm okay. If being okay included coughing up a strange liquid, or 'blood'. But I'm relatively okay" 

Nick thought over his decision one more time before sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.

_I hope I'm not being too nosy._

The male quickly shot the idea down though. He was just worried about his friend, there was nothing wrong with it.

Nothing wrong-

"Hey dude, you okay? You look like you're about to tell me that there's a bomb in our fridge" 

_There might as well be one._

Nick chuckled, turning his back to his friend. Slowly, he leaned on the back of the couch, humming softly to himself.

"Well...I know that you're obviously not...physically okay. But- I..." Nick managed to get out, stumbling on his words. He was already regretting this.

The male looked over his shoulder, his friend's large eyes looking up at him with expectancy. 

"I want to know if you're okay. You've been acting...off since...Kaleb's..." Nick silently cursed himself out at George's silence. "I mean it's totally expected! He was really important to you and I...was a person who saw it first hand. And as your best friend, I want you to know that you can say anything to me" He added quickly.

_Silence._

Holding his breath, Nick tensed up at George's blank stare. The brunet's indifferent expression gave nothing away.

Slowly George stood up, the male humming in thought. "I'm craving ramen"

Nick internally sighed. 

This always happened when the topic was brought up. The other male would change the subject, and Nick would not dig further, afraid of overstepping his friend's boundaries.

But today it would be different.

Nick stalked over to George and grabbed his friend's wrist suddenly, firm enough to show his urgency but gentle enough to not hurt George. 

"George. Please. You can't face everything by yourself...you can just tell-"

The brunet coldly broke out of Nick's grasp, standing his ground as he glared at the male. "I'm fine" George muttered, his voice just that little bit more devoid of emotions.

Nick searched the gaze of his friend for _anything_ , anything at all.

 _"George,"_ Nick said a bit more urgently, the brunet staring at the male tensely.

"Look. I'll spell it out for you" George said softly, his words cold and precise though. "I'm f-i-n-e. Just drop the topic, Nick. We don't have to talk about this, we can stay like this fine without me telling you. Good friends...friendly banter..." The brunet slowly said, a harsh atmosphere dropping onto the two.

"Look dude, I'm worried for you. I'm sorry if I'm being too pushy, but this can't keep going! You can't keep going acting like he still walks this earth!" Nick narrowed his eyes as his tone grew firmer.

"I'm not going to baby you! Things aren't gonna be okay! He's fucking gone George, and that's a fact you need to accept-"

"I fucking know that _genius_! I know he's gone, I know alright!" George shouted back. "I-I...just fucking...hate this. After he disappeared, Mom and Dad fucking coddled me! When he was gone they moved on without a word, they erased him from the fucking family! If you walk into our god damn house you won't see a single belonging or picture that is _his_ "

Nick listened to his friend, the male lost for words. It was strange seeing George like this...oh so...broken.

"I...I'll tell you one thing, Nick. I'm tired. I loved Kaleb, he was a _stellar_ brother" the brunet's voice broke slightly. "But when he passed away, my parents moved their expectations, their so-called "adoration" to me. It's strange to know that I've worked so hard to be in Kaleb's spotlight, with _him_ "

"But it's just so... _funny_! To know that the second Kaleb disappeared, the spotlight was shifted to me. All I've desired...given to me. So quickly." George trailed off for a moment, a misty look in his eyes. 

"Funny to know how...quickly people moved on...moved everything...to _me_." 

Nick watched his friend ramble, crazily almost, the male frozen in shock.

It dawned on him, just how much George was keeping to himself. How the crack in the dam had finally let out all the water.

"Don't you see it! In their...stupid expressions! Pitying almost..." George kept a clenched fist to his chest as he seemed to spiral even more out of sanity. "They don't care..."

George snapped his head up, Nick's wavering under the brunet's intense gaze. "I bet even _you_ don't care." 

"They only say it to...appease people. So they don't seem rude...so that the poor butterfly that was affected won't waver! Like anything they do will rip its wings off! They don't mean what they say but say it anyway to appease others. I'm not a fucking delicate flower! Why say anything at all if you don't mean it?! So they can seem like a good person by 'pitying' the victim??"

George seemed to still after his outburst, the brunet releasing his clenched fist causing his hands to hang by his sides uselessly.

A silence followed, thick and uncomfortable. Nick nervously bit the inside of his cheek as he watched his friend carefully.

"George...I didn't know you-" 

"Be honest Nick. You know nothing of me anymore"

"...Yeah. You're not the person I knew. But I'll do everything in my power to help you"

"Why? What's your reason? I'm not the same person you knew right? So I'm a stranger to you. Why are you helping a stranger?" George said in a soft, broken voice. 

Nick paused, looking at his friend sadly as he sighed.

"I...I don't know" 

George stayed silent before turning his back to Nick. "...let's just forget this Nick" 

"We...both leave this room as George and Nick. Good friends since toddlers. And nobody could be none the wiser" 

Nick stayed silent, staring at his friend as he opened his mouth before closing it. Looking away quickly, the male sighed.

"Alright"

And with that...the conversation was over just like that.

George blinked before leaving the living room without another word.

**December 24th, Sunday, 4:11 PM**

_What was happening?_

The thought stood in the front of his mind the entire time as George threw up into the sink. After all, it was all the brunet could do...

George looked up into the mirror above the sink, the male staring intensely into his ruffled reflection.

_Who am I?_

The brunet paused though as he felt a feather-light touch on his shoulder, the boy spinning around. George relaxed though as he realized no one was there.

Must've just been him.

The male silently sighed as he slumped onto the bathroom floor, leaning against the cabinets under the sink. 

"What am I without Kaleb?" George wondered out loud, his emotions conflicting.

Taking a deep breath, the brunet shuddered voluntarily.

"What have I done?" He whispered to himself, pulling his knees to his chest.

Of course, there was no answer as...

_**He was alone.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I accidently reset my computer while writing AND LOST ALL PROGRESS, SO NOW I'M RAGING-
> 
> Anyway, updates are gonna slow down for a hot second, personal issues have come up. I promise to get updates out though!
> 
> Micheal in the Bathroom (From Be More Chill)  
> She (By Dodie [mlm cover])


	23. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy (Part 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _And we're back! (Kinda...)_
> 
> _The Skeppy arc should be finished soon. The arc after this one is my favorite one!_
> 
> _Also, hello! I'm the editor of this fic. You can simply call me Omi or "the editor" lol. I'll be appearing more frequently since Jemps is dealing with some issues in real life._
> 
> _But just to let you know, if you ever see italic text in the author's note, that's me!_

**December 25th, Monday, 1:28 PM**

"Can you really not think of _anything_ to write your song about?" Darryl asked, a bit stupefied. 

At the boy's words, Zak looked up at Darryl, pursuing his lips. "Nothing" He huffed indignantly.

"You muffin head..." Darryl muttered with a soft sigh. "Just write some cheesy love song. Use your 'girlfriend' for inspiration. I'm sure your fans will love anything you give them" The boy said, somewhat reassuringly.

Zak murmured something under his breath, tapping his forefinger against the small cafe table. 

Today was just another meeting between the two. These little meetups had become frequent, and more words were exchanged between the two every time. Darryl thought it might be a sign the two were becoming friends of some sort.

Which...he would like to entertain the possibility of.

Sometimes he felt more of a therapist, listening to the famous singer whine about his problems. But still, he enjoyed Zak's company either way. It was nice to have someone around in his shop regularly. After all, not a lot of people came into the place who were new customers. 

Darryl tilted his head as he watched the other carefully. The musty light that was filtered through the cafe's window fell upon the singer peculiarly, lighting up his facial features in an almost ethereal way. 

The male would've said that the singer looked possibly...pretty. But more in a complimentary manner! As Darryl wouldn't want the other to interpret his words wrong. The two were both straight, and it would probably develop a tense atmosphere between the two.

And...the boy _really_ didn't want that, as he would hate to see Zak go.

"You know that I won't do that...I need...words. That is from the heart" Zak muttered, as he combed a hand through his already messy hair.

Darryl hummed in thought, the male pausing before pulling up a chair to Zak's table. Peering over at the blank piece of paper in front of the singer, Darryl drummed his fingers on the table to get the other's attention.

Zak's head snapped up, the singer staring _quite_ intensely at the other.

Darryl paused. "Well...tell me about your feelings. You might be able to write something off that." 

"Feelings of what?"

"Anything. For a person, for an object, for a place... _anything_." 

Zak hummed. "Then how about you?" 

"What?" Darryl said quickly, his voice cracking a bit. Zak flashed the other an amused look before turning his attention back to the paper.

"Well, you are my _good friend_ after all," Zak said, trying to reason with the other. Darryl bit the inside of his cheek as he snorted.

"Sure, fine...whatever suits you Geppy..." Darryl zealously shook his head.

Zak gave a triumphant grin before leaning back into his chair, taking in a long breath.

Darryl frowned. "Zak! Don't lean back in your chair! don't you remember what your teachers in school-"

"Anywho! I think I can write something...hopefully." Zak continued, ignoring the other male. The singer wasted no time as he slung his blue backpack over his shoulder. Slipping on his mask and baseball cap, the boy bolted out of the door.

"See you later baldy!" 

"Wait! Zak you muffin!"

Darryl stood up sharply, his chair almost falling over from this sudden action. The male sighed though as he realized the singer was long gone now.

"He forgot to pay for his cupcake..." Darryl muttered sharply before puffing his cheeks out.

**??? ??, ???, ?? ??**

_George stood in the middle of an almost darkened street. The street lights flickered at random intervals, giving the area an eery feeling that one wouldn't be able to shake. The brunet's head felt unbearably foggy, a feeling that felt like lead in his head._

_"Look at what you've become now... **George** "_

_The brunet froze before looking down. In his hand, his long slender fingers were wrapped around the neck of a familiar bi-pedal fox._

_Fundy looked strained, his paws and legs dangling in the air uselessly. The fox looked at the boy with a semi-sad expression plastered on his face, pitying, almost._

_George flinched, trying to let go immediately._ _The boy felt rattled inside though as he realized-_

_..._

**_He couldn't let go._ **

_This wasn't his body anymore. He was watching...as a spectator._

_"And I'm proud of what I have become you fucking **rat** " George spat out like poison. The brunet watched the scene unfold helplessly, every action going against his will._

_Fundy smiled weakly, the fox tilting his head curiously despite his current situation. "Oh ho, depending on degrading nicknames now, **boy**?" _

_George let out a small snarl before throwing the fox to the dark cement, like a ragdoll. As Fundy let out a gasp for air, George gave a forced smile to the small creature. His hand snaked over to his belt before taking out the small canister. Pressing the small button, the object expanded into his naginata._

_The brunet sighed, the boy sounding tired to his core. Strange._

_"This...this is for ██████ ██ ██████ ██ ██████ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ █████ you GOD FORSAKEN-"_

_The brunet paused. Was it just him or did he just hear static? What did he just-_

_George didn't get to watch the rest of the scene though. He was jolted out of the dream before he could see what else would happen._

**December 25th, Monday, 6:28 PM**

████ watched sadly as George sprung up from the couch, the blanket that was covering him snaking off onto the floor. The brunet took in ragged breaths, his chest rising and falling at an awkward pace. The male's eyes were heavily dilated as he combed a hand through his hair, hurriedly.

George hugged himself tightly as if the walls on Nick's apartment were closing in on him.

_The brunet looked pitiful._

████ turned their gaze away, almost as if they were guilty. They had seen this many times over. Nightmares were common. But it still didn't change how...violent sometimes they seemed. It hurt ████ watching George like this...even though they had seen it, _many_ , times before. 

████ returned to reality though, the giant inky wolf blinking its large void eyes at the boy before it.

The Terror by now had learned the sequence of nightmares the brunet had. Creepy, but with how much time ████ spent with the other, it was expected.

████ placed rested their head on the couch, watching George through half-lidded eyes. The brunet seemed to shiver, the boy muttering incoherent words at a fast pace. The Terror let out a soft sigh, lifting an inky paw and placing it on George's shoulder. 

**_"It'll be okay"_ **

Even though ████ knew the boy couldn't hear it, it helped them believe they weren't a total douchebag for watching someone suffer so often in front of them. It was definitely disappointing that ████ couldn't comfort the other...and maybe it _was_ eating away at their morals to watch George break down so often.

But...they had to stay strong. No matter what.

The Terror made a promise after all.

...

_To a very special someone._

**??? ??, ???, ?? ??**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND I'M BACK WITH RELINQUISH YOUR JUSTICE-
> 
> But like...not really because I got my editor to write...all of this chapter. Hope it's not too jarring, and that the writing is somewhat similar to my regular writing style.
> 
> From now on, Omi, or "the editor", will be writing most of the chapters for a good while...since I'm dealing with some personal problems (you would think I wouldn't have a life outside of this if I'm writing fanfics of block men). 
> 
> So, BIG SHOUTOUT TO OMI, CAN WE GET A BIG COLLECTIVE THANK YOU FOR THE EDITOR FOR HELPING ME NOT FADE OUT OF RELEVANCY AND MAKE SURE YOU GUYS DON'T GET AN INDEFINITE HIATUS-
> 
> But anyway, hopefully, I can resolve my irl issues soon, and we can get back to regular. But for now, enjoy Omi's way more amazing writing.


	24. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy (Part 5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hello, again lovely readers! :D_
> 
> _I really hope you are okay with my writing for a while! Jemps won't be able to write most chapters (estimated that she won't be back for maybe two weeks sadly). But as you know, I'll be substituting in and writing the chapters from now on. As both our writing styles are somewhat similar, and Jemps didn't want to put the fic on a hiatus._
> 
> _Again, sorry! But I still hope you guys enjoy the story :)_
> 
> _And thank you for the support for this fic! We both love reading your guy's comments!_

**December 25th, Monday, 7:01 PM**

Clay lazed around on his bed, a sleepy expression planted into his face. The blond laid on top of the messy sheets of his bed, his half-lidded eyes locked on the ceiling of the room. The boy hadn't bothered to change out of his school uniform, his backpack cast aside on the ground in the relatively clean room. Textbooks and papers spilled out of the bag, Clay too lazy to pick them up.

If one would to see him right now, they would compare him to a cat. His sluggish movements and constant drifting in and out of sleep gave him a nonchalant aura. 

The blond lazily trailed his gaze over to the window next to his bed. The sun was already dipping down on the horizon, a warm sliver of light falling on the boy's figure that seemed to make him even more pleasing to look at.

Clay let a soft smile escape him for a moment as he sunk even more into his bed. The blond let out a sigh of contentedness before visibly wincing at the sound of a crash from the hallway. The boy sat up, his eyes focused on his bedroom door. He could hear the thumping of footsteps on the ground before silence seemed to interrupt it.

As expected though, his roommate soon came barrelling through the door with brute force. 

Techno had a sharp frown on his face as he glared at Clay. His long pink hair hung down to his waist, having not been tied up in their usual braid.

"I know you have it _Clay_ , where the hell did you put it?" The boy demanded, his eyes narrowing.

The blond grinned. "I don't know what you mean, _Techno_ "

The two shared glares for a moment, passive-aggressiveness laced into their words. 

Though the two seemed like they would be at their throats at any second now, this was mostly a greeting the two often shared. The two had known each other for quite a while now, the rivalry between the two boys never seeming to fade throughout the years. The two weren't _best friends,_ but they shared a mutual respect for the other male. A friendship forged through alike pain and situations...you could say.

"Look here, you damned blond, hand over the folder. We both know that I need those papers for the student council meeting!" Techno snarled, the pink-haired boy looking ready to strangle Clay at any moment.

The blond shrugged, swinging his long legs over the side of the bed. "Don't have it. You must've just lost it with your shit memory"

Techno suddenly clasped his hands together before holding out an empty hand to Clay. The blond paused before raising a slow eyebrow at the male.

"Your words. Take them, and eat them" Techno said coldly.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, bacon" Clay grunted before standing up. The blond walked over to his desk drawer before pulling out a blue folder filled to the brim with papers. Sticky notes spilled out the sides of it, some papers even dropping out of the folder.

Techno quickly snatched the folder, tucking it under his arm without another word. The boy gathered the stray papers that had been scattered on the floor before hurriedly walking out of the room.

The male paused at the doorframe though, the boy glancing back at Clay. 

"Oh...also. That's a new addition. What's the reason for it?" Techno asked simply, the male jabbing a finger over to the ebony mask that was hung on the wall. The smile on the mask seemed to stare back at one in an eery manner.

Clay froze in his tracks, a million thoughts pouring through his head before the blond sighed.

"That's...a story for another day"

Techno hummed. "You know you can just tell me that you murder people for a living"

The blond scoffed before walking over to the object and pulling the smooth mask off the wall. "No, it's not like that"

"Then I suppose it's something even more serious than that...or some weird-ass hobby you have." Techno paused. "But hey man, I don't judge"

Clay didn't respond, an awkward silence filling the spaces between the two. Techno stared at the blond for a second longer before turning away.

"Welp, that's all. Enlighten me about that story someday, Dream" He said simply before disappearing. Clay's eyes did not wander from the spot where Techno just was, emotions swirling around in the blond.

Mostly surprise. 

Yes, 'Dream' was his magical boy code name, but it was also his childhood nickname.

And well...the blond hadn't heard that nickname from Techno in _years_. 

The name felt abnormal coming from his stoic rival. Clay's thoughts began to spiral downward as he started to think about it more clearly.

He might've been overreacting a tiny bit, but it was just how Clay was. Whenever there was something foreign, he wanted to break down each part of it. He wanted to know _everythin_ g about it, inside and out.

But the more the boy started to think about it, he slowly concluded. The result was offputting, the blond not able to think of anything else. Clay shifted uncomfortably, shuffling his feet as he bit his lower lip.

_Was that a threat? Or some type of warning to me? Am I...thinking of this too much? Maybe Techno just wanted his words to sound more serious._

Clay sighed audibly before flopping back onto his bed, the boy sinking into his ruffled sheets.

**December 25th, Monday, 8:39 PM**

"Skeppy?"

The singer paused before looking up. Finn was in the driver's seat of the car, the male's gaze that was trained on Skeppy was laced with concern. The street lights shone through the car windows, allowing both to see the other clearly in the night. 

Zak sat in the front passenger seat, the boy earlier having drifted into a trance that caused his head to wander in the clouds. Luckily, with Finn calling the boy's name, Skeppy snapped out of it quickly.

The traffic light continued to flicker red above the car, giving a weird hue of red to Finn's features.

"Huh?" 

Finn sighed before turning his attention back to the road, his grip on the steering wheel becoming tenser. "I was asking you something, Zak." 

"O-oh...can you say it again?" Skeppy said, sitting up a bit straighter.

"...You know...Nevermind" 

Zak rolled his eyes. "Oh come onnn...please?" The boy whined.

Finn sighed, glancing up at the still red traffic light. The male bit his lip, as if he was trying to stall the other. Zak frowned for a brief moment before scoffing.

"What? C'mon Finn...I can take most personal questions" He paused. "...except for some exceptions"

Finn snorted. "Fine then. I was asking you if things were going okay with Ronnie"

Skeppy paused before looking out the car window to stare out into the darkness. "Want me to sugarcoat it or be truthful?"

"We both know which one I want"

Zak bit the inside of his cheek as he slumped into the car seat, his seat belt feeling more constricting than it should be.

"Well...she's a good person. She's pretty, nice, and...well, has the perfect public image. We just don't mix well though." Zak muttered. "You already know that I want to break it off. But according to Mr. Basilisk, we have 'good chemistry', which, snowballs chance in hell that we do." 

Skeppy squeezed his eyes shut. "But...since Mr. Basilisk thinks it'll benefit us, Ronnie and I probably won't be ending...whatever _this_ is anytime soon."

"...and you guys are starting to argue more and more. Though both you and Ronnie sound good on paper, you guys just can't find anything in common with each other. But since you can't break it off, you two are stuck with each other. Leading to more tension and unhappiness" Finn said softly, beating Zak to saying it.

The singer turned his head to the other, raising an eyebrow. "Well...yeah. But why did you ask if you knew anyway?"

"I was hoping that you were going to say that at the minimum things were...okay...between you two" Finn paused. "I don't support this whole relationship thing of course!" He added quickly.

"But...I just hate seeing you two suffer from this stupid thing just so your _public image_ improves" 

Zak sighed. "Me too Finn. But...as long as Mr. Basilisk has the info, he can make me dance like a puppet on some strings" Zak muttered dejectedly.

After that was said, a silence formed between the two. Both were obviously uncomfortable with this but didn't want to say anything. The silence was suffocating and tense, but what made it worse was that the damned traffic light was still stuck.

Finn glanced over at Zak before sighing, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Have you finished your song?"

"No. I haven't"

"Oh...do you know the direction you want it to go in?"

Zak paused. 

"I don't. I really don't know where I'm supposed to do with it" He took in a long breath. "And I don't know where I'm heading either"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _-City of Angels (By Em Beihold)_   
>  _-Way Less Sad (By AJR)_


	25. Zak Ahmed, Alias Skeppy (Part 6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This fic is mostly built open quickly thrown together plot ideas, so it's imperfect. But somehow by the Miracle of God, the story is actually going smoothly, and people are enjoying it too! So...we must be doing something right. But anyway, this story won't be ending anytime soon with how much plot we have planned. We both hope you wonderful readers stay with us on this journey!_
> 
> _Thank you for all the support on your guy's part too! It's such a big factor in our motivation and me and Jemps are both just happy that people like reading our story! ^-^_
> 
> _Also, I hope you guys will be just as excited about the next arc as me!_

**December 26th, Tuesday, 12:06 PM**

"I never knew you were a shut-in"

George paused, the brunet's head snapping up. As he tore his gaze away from the book he was reading, George's eyes met the piercing emerald gaze of a familiar face. The brunet scrunched his nose up at the blond's words, closing the book with a sharp sound.

The brunet didn't feel like interacting with others today and had thus decided to stay inside the high school's library. The place was quite vacant at this time, with only a few people wandering around the quiet place. Most people were at the lunchroom or scattered around the campus, and besides, the librarian hated people bringing food into the library.

"Thanks for sugarcoating it," George remarked, rolling his eyes. Clay grinned before leaning against the bookcase near the brunet.

George spared a glance up before returning to his book, trying to ignore the other's presence as best as he could. 

He was starting to hate how much taller the blond was.

"But seriously dude, why aren't you with the rest of the group? The other guys were wondering where you went"

"I should ask the same to you though. Why are you here?" George shot back.

Clay shrugged. "You looked lonely"

"That was what I wanted to be"

"Oh come on, can't I just stay?" Clay pouted, George rolling his eyes as he looked over to the blond indifferently.

His eyes lingered for longer than the brunet needed.

George sighed. "I can't control you. Do what you want" 

At the shorter's words, Clay smirked before plucking the book out of George's hands. The brunet paused in realization before spinning around, trying to snatch it back. Clay held the book over his head though, and due to his height, it made George unable to get the book back.

"What the hell Clay! I was reading that, give it back!" George yelled in a hushed voice, a triumphant look on Clay's face. 

"Do you really blame me for wanting your full attention?" 

George paused, internally stumbling for a moment before the brunet shook his head clear. "Yes I do, you needy bastard. Now hand it back"

Clay hummed in thought, the blond rocking back and forth on his feet. George continued to give the other a harsh glare, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

"Nope!" Clay said simply, George giving the other an exasperated sigh in response. 

"Fine I'll give you attention... _fucking needy puppy_ "

Clay grinned. "What do you mean?"

"You look, and act like one, so you're a puppy" George replied. 

"Aww, you think I'm cute?" Clay teased, his grin growing wider.

George stayed silent for a moment before a thought flashed inside his mind. The brunet let slip a small smile, causing Clay to raise an eyebrow at the other. George took a step towards the other, a small action that seemed to get Dream tense.

"What if I did?" 

Dream tilted his head. "Than I would be honored"

"I mean...of course, you would..." George said slowly, the confusion growing on Clay's face.

The brunet didn't hesitate before grabbing the tie of the blond's school uniform, giving a firm tug in one fluent and smooth motion. Keeping a tense grip on the piece of fabric, George managed to pull down Clay to eye-level, the blond blinking in surprise from the action. 

The two stayed in that position for a few seconds, both their faces only a few inches away from each other. George's eyes traced every imperfection on Clay's face, every little scar, _everything_. As he took in the other's appearance, he felt the tiny wanting to trace his fingers over the other's freckles and connect them, like a constellation.

Staring at the other for one more moment, Clay's eyes widened as pink dusted his cheeks, the realization crashing down on the blond.

"You're a good dog after all, right?" George said softly, his words hinted with just a barely suggestive tone. 

The brunet felt triumphant though as Clay seemed to almost, _melt_ , a deep blush making itself home on the other's face. As the other was busy processing what George had just said, the brunet quickly let go of Clay's tie before plucking his book out of the taller's hand.

Clay stumbled over his words as George gave the other an innocent smile. 

"I- ...w-what the fu-" The blond continued to blush a deep crimson as he took a step back.

The brunet used his book as he gently tapped the other on the head with it. He continued to smile as he turned around, glancing over his shoulder.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart...I'll see you in science class." George said simply before walking away, leaving a stammering gay mess in his wake.

As he stepped out into the school hallway, George hummed happily. The brunet paused in his tracks though, using one of his free hands to cover the lower part of his face. Leaning against the wall, he took a deep breath. One would be able to see the soft pink rising in the other's face and the obvious thrill in George's eyes.

The brunet let a small giggle escape him.

_Worth it._

**December 26th, Tuesday, 3:41 PM**

"But didn't you say you could write something?" Darryl asked, the baker tilting his head curiously.

"Keyword Darryl, I _thought_ I could," Skeppy said dejectedly, taking a long sip from his juice box. 

The boy rolled his eyes dusted the flour off his hands before walking over to Zak. 

Today the singer appeared a lot later than usual for their meetup at Darryl's cafe. Darryl would've asked why, but he was afraid that he was being nosy. If Zak didn't tell him, then he didn't need to know it. 

Darryl sighed as he glanced over to his wilting friend. The singer tapped his forefinger against the tabletop, an action that told Darryl that Zak was getting anxious. He had picked it up from being around the boy a lot, and also Zak's continuous use of said action.

The baker hummed. "So you really have nothing then?"

Zak simply grunted in response, his eyes not leaving the ground. Almost as if he was ashamed by the fact he had nothing so far.

A silence seemed to settle on the cafe, only the muffled sound of people talking from the outside of the shop signifying that the world was still moving. Darryl bit the inside of his cheek before glancing over to Skeppy again, who was currently fidgeting with a frayed string of his blue sweatshirt.

"How about you write a _sad_ love song then?"

Zak raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? And how am I going to find the right emotions to-"

"Sing about Ronnie." Darryl said, causing Zak's eyes to widen. The boy scrambled up, his posture instantly straightening as he narrowed his eyes.

"But Mr. Basilisk won't like that and-"

"Well...not specifically Ronnie. But you can base your emotions on it, and nobody could be the wiser. All they would know is that it's some sad love song" Darryl said, cutting off the other.

Realization slowly dawned on the singer's face as he reached over to his sky blue backpack, pulling out a piece of binder paper. The singer wasted no time, taking out a pencil and scribbling down words with his jagged handwriting.

Darryl watched the other, amused, before joining in on the planning. 

An hour must've passed before both boys decided to call it quits. But by then they had written a solid draft and were both happy with the product. Skeppy had left in a rush (like usual), Darryl being simply happy that he managed to help his friend.

The baker sighed happily. Stretching his arms out, the chair under him squealed a bit before Darryl relaxed once again. Staying still for a moment, a wisp of a smile stayed rooted into his expression.

The boy jumped out of his seat though as he heard the bell on top of the cafe door ring. The chair he was sitting in fell to the ground with a loud clatter from the baker's action. Darryl's head snapped towards the direction of the door, the boy immediately relaxing as he realized who it was.

"You're...the fox from the hospital" Darryl muttered, a familiar fox slipping through the small crack in the cafe door. The vibrant fox padded towards Darryl with a soft grin.

"Yep! But please, call me Fundy" The animal said before jumping onto the register counter. 

"Oh um...alright...Fundy" Darryl said reluctantly, the name almost foreign on his tongue. "Um...what do you need?"

Fundy curled his fluffy tail over his paws neatly, the fox continuing to smile. "Oh you know, just relaying some info"

"What info?"

"Well...you're an 'unofficial' magical girl after all. I do have to tell you things so you can do your job in the first place" Fundy muttered with a wave of his paw.

"Oh...what's my job anyway?" 

The fox hummed. "For now, an informant. You're the closest to our target"

"Target?"

"Skeppy. We need info to make sure his Terror doesn't take control of him" The fox said simply.

Darryl paused. "But there's nothing wrong with him-" the baker stopped though. Thinking a bit more thoroughly about the two's conversations, Zak did seem very stressed about his career and 'Mr. Basilisk'.

"Well, nobody says anything when they're in pain" Fundy huffed.

"That's just one of your flaws as a human. You, humans, are always afraid to say anything, afraid that'll it burden others, afraid that people will berate you for having problems." Fundy muttered indignantly. "I really don't get why it's so hard to just, _talk_ -"

Darryl wasn't listening to the fox though. He was too busy with his own thoughts.

Especially the ones that were worrying over Zak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _You have no idea how much fun I had writing the library flirting scene. Jemp had to remind me that they're "just friends"...but did I do good? I think I went a bit far but like...I COULDN'T RESIST_
> 
> -Let Us Adore You (From "Steven Universe")  
> -Cliche (By mxmtoon)


	26. Side Chapter (Part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hehe, dropping hints is so much fun! But there hasn't been that much magical girl action this arc, but don't worry! It's coming, it'll just be at the end of the arc (which I'm so excited to write!)._
> 
> _Again, thank you for your guy's support! Hope you enjoy the chapter._
> 
> _(P.S. This isn't the end of the arc!! It's just that this part doesn't really connect to Skeppy's arc so I decided to make it a "Side Chapter". Side Chapters are still important to the plot though, so please read them!_

**December 27th, Wednesday, 2:08 AM**

It was dark. One wouldn't be able to see anything, not even the stars in the sky. The street lights for some reason were turned off, so it really was true darkness.

A dark figure walked through the streets. They carried themself with confidence, a certain regal air to them as they walked down the street. Behind them, they dragged what looked to be an inky black sword. An eery, shrill, sound echoed down the streets from the beautiful sword being dragged across the cement.

A crimson red half cape fluttered in their wake. Their clothes looked like royalty, taking into account the golden crown that stood on their head and almost medieval clothing. They also only wore the shoulder and breastplate pieces of a suit of armor, the armor seemingly to be made of the same strange purplish-black material of the sword. The material glowed eerily, not necessarily enough to be a sufficient light source, but enough to announce the person's presence.

The figure paused in their tracks, swinging their claymore sword over their shoulder to rest it on. 

At a closer look, the person seemed to have long pink hair, flowing freely. A boar skull was used as a mask somewhat, the skull covering the upper-half of their face.

The figure paused before looking over their shoulder, the stranger suddenly giving a small smile that fully displayed their irregularly sharp canine teeth.

"Oh... it's you" They grunted before fully turning their body to the other presence.

The giant inky black animal stood at the same height as the rather tall person, their big fennec fox ears giving it just that little bit of extra height though. The long inky black tails that trailed behind it fluttered like ribbons in the air. Its emerald green eyes glittered with interest as it stared at the person with narrowed eyes.

"Remember our deal you overgrown dog" The individual growled lowly at the creature. "Don't you dare try to wiggle your way out of it, _mutt_ "

The creature stayed silent, its presence as ominous as ever as its unblinking eyes stayed on the regal person. Not wavering.

The stranger didn't back down either. Even though their eyes were not able to be seen under their boar skull, one could feel their intense glare.

"...the body is nearby. Fill your appetite and get lost. I'm busy" They said stiffly as they walked away, taking their leave.

The creature tilted its head inhumanly, before disappearing, almost melting away into the shadows similarly to water.

As the two strange individuals left, the street lights flickered back on weakly, as if nothing had happened that night.

  
**December 27th, Wednesday, 4:57 PM**

_"-Another body has been found, this time on 6242 Peach Grove Street. The victim is a 29-year-old white male, Thomas Williams. Many of the injuries the man sustained are similar to the first victim, 6-year-old Emily Watson. Suspects lead us to the killer/killers that people have started to call 'Hydrangea', for the signature Hydrangea flower always left nearby the scene..."_

George tore his gaze away from the TV, his eyes finding themselves once again on Nick. His friend seemed extremely focused on the TV, a look of disgust evident on the boy's face as he held a cold muffin in his hand, untouched.

The brunet let out a sigh, glancing over to Darryl and Skeppy. 

The two friends (after a battle of rock-paper-scissors) had decided to visit Darryl's bakery as they hadn't seen the boy around that much. To their surprise though, they had found Darryl talking to the famous singer, Skeppy, which they _almost_ felt bad for interrupting. 

"I swear, these murders are starting to get unwieldy" Nick muttered, kicking up his feet on an empty chair.

George blinked. "Yeah...you could say that"

"I mean...they're pretty brutal...but what's with the Hydrangeas?" 

"Oh boy, I don't fucking know-"

"Language!" Bad yelled from the other side of the shop.

George continued. "Try searching up the meaning of the flower on google," The brunet said as he waved his phone around slowly.

Nick huffed, snatching the other's phone before quickly skimming over the text. George watched his friend with an amused expression as he returned to his cup of coffee.

"Why the hell are there so many meanings for this damned flower?" Nick muttered as he scrolled through George's phone.

"Cause there's a lot of people in the world, and a lot of places. Meanings change from person to person"

Nick wore a confused expression. "So then...they mean bad luck?"

"Yeah, but they can also mean 'peace and love' and 'gratitude'." George leaned back in his chair a bit, proceeding to recite info.

"So then what is your point?"

"Not everything is gonna be clear as day. We don't have enough info about these murders, so for now the whole Hydrangea fiasco will be a mystery as well" George said. "So all we could know, the murder is showing his gratitude or he's showing the victim's so-called 'bad luck'."

Nick scoffed. "Then why didn't you tell me that in the first place"

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime" George said without missing a beat.

"Overdramatic but whatever..." Nick grumbled. George smiled with a hint of lingering amusement before looking over to Darryl and Zak again. 

_They looked...close_

The brunet felt a tinge of jealousy, looking away quickly. 

Sometimes the boy wished he had that type of relationship. He missed...the warmth.

_He missed Kaleb._

George paused as he shook his head clear, the boy letting out a small sigh. Maybe he should _try_ to improve his relationships, but...it was probably too late. He could already feel the rift between him and Nick...and the two were best friends before this whole thing.

The brunet knew it was mostly on his part, but 'If you can't love yourself, how can you love others?'. 

After all, he would never be able to forgive himself for what he had done.

Pulling his knees to his chest, George slowly started to drift out of reality and reminisce. About...the past.

**??? ??, ???, ?? ??**

_A young George stared at the violin in his hand. The brunet's feet stayed rooted in place as he slowly looked up to the familiar bedroom door._

_The boy was currently at home, contemplating if he should ask his older sibling for help with his violin playing. Even though ████ usually played the piano in their recitals to duet with George, the older was also quite inept in playing the violin as well._

_After all, he was mother and father's **"prodigy"** , so of course he was **perfect**._

_As the venomous thoughts coursed through the teen, George shook his head clear. The brunet paused before looking down the hallway nervously._

_The boy hated this house. Sure, it was nice, big, and luxurious, but it also was so...empty._

_It might've been expensive and 'modern', but George always felt...well...lonely whenever he walked through his house._

_The brunet was snapped out of his trance though as he heard the loud shouting from his sibling's room. George slowly started to press his ear to the door._

_The boy inwardly panicked though as the door slowly swung back into the room at the weight of him. The door was not closed and was already opened at the start. The brunet stayed as quiet as possible as he peered through the now open crack of the door._

_████ paced the spotless bedroom, papers scattered on their single bed. They had their phone pressed to their ear. The older was obviously panicked as they spoke to the other person on the line, their voice ranging from shouting to hushed whispering._

_"Please, Jamie! I just need more time!" ████ said in a pleading tone. "You know I love you! Please!"_

_George watched the spectacle with his usual indifferent expression, but inside, the boy was...happy?_

_No, that was not right! He should be worried that his sibling is obviously having trouble with something...he should be sympathetic that the older is having something bad happen to them! He- ...George...should love his older sibling._

_████ had done so much for him...what was wrong with him?! The brunet needed to rid himself of this happiness he was feeling for his sibling's situation, this wasn't right-_

_"I-I can't! You know I can't do that for you Jamie!" ████ was crying by now, his sadness not showing in his voice though._

_"Please! Babe, I-I just need time-" The older was cut off though as they were interrupted by the loud beep of the other hanging up. ████ crumpled to the ground, their phone falling to the floor with a sharp crack. Large tears streamed down their face, ████ looking lost for words._

_George bit the inside of his cheek before dropping his violin. The instrument let out a hollow sound as it hit the ground, alerting ████ of the brunet's presence. As ████ looked up, George ran into the arms of his older sibling, embracing the other._

_The boy didn't say anything as he hung on tight to ████, the older quickly wrapped his arms around the other in a hug in response. Tears continued to run down ████'s face, large and un-ending._

_George didn't know what to say, so he let his actions speak for themself. The younger had never seen ████ so, well, **vulnerable**._

_The brunet stayed silent as he let ████ cry into his shoulder, the younger's expression revealing none of his emotions. George did indeed feel pity and sympathy for the other, but it had become almost a habit for the boy to not show any **weakness**._

_If his father saw ████ like this..._

_No._

_That couldn't happen._

_George tightened his arms around the other, giving the other a reassuring squeeze._

_He loved his sibling. ████ didn't deserve that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Jempsters here, this is probs gonna ruin it all, but the censored name in George's memories is Kaleb! Why his name is censored though in George's mind, will be explained later ;). 
> 
> If anything else is censored that is OUTSIDE of George's memories, then it's probably very big plot spoilers, or another person who you have to figure out who they are.
> 
> So, big hint for you readers!!!
> 
> -Boy Bi (By Mad Tsai)  
> -Defying Gravity (From "Wicked")


End file.
